Plaid Cymru MS criticises First Minister's speech on devolution as 'disingenuous'

Ella Groves

A Plaid Cymru MS has criticised the First Minister's speech on devolution today as "disingenuous".

In a speech made to the Institute for Government, First Minister Eluned Morgan called for a fair share of UK funding for Wales.

She called for a Constitutional Reform Act to legally protect devolution as well as an independent oversight process to ensure financial fairness for Wales and the other devolved nations.

Ms Morgan shared that the Welsh Government is calling for the devolution of policing, rail, youth justice and probation, along with the transfer of Crown Estate powers.

She also said she would call on the Chancellor to make permanent the Welsh Government's full access to its financial reserves.

In her speech the First Minister described it as a "new chapter on devolution".

However a Plaid Cymru MS has responded with criticism to the speech, arguing it is "disingenuous" for Welsh Labour to claim they will deliver on devolution after having "actively opposed" previous calls for reform.

Responding to the speech Heledd Fychan, Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales Central, said: “Plaid Cymru has always led the case for fair funding for Wales, devolving justice, securing powers over our natural resources and securing the billions owed to Wales in rail cash - yet Labour in both Westminster and Cardiff have blocked, and actively opposed, this from happening.

"It is disingenuous of them to claim that they now champion devolution or Welsh interests. This was a speech rooted in desperation by a party that's trying to stay relevant when the people of Wales are challenging them on their failure to deliver in government.

Ms Fychan also drew attention to recent opinion polling which has placed Plaid Cymru in the top spot whilst Welsh Labour have slowly fallen down in the polls.

She said: "Opinion polls show that the people of Wales want a party that will actually stand up for their nation and on 7 May, voters will have the chance to choose new leadership that puts will always stand up for Wales with Plaid Cymru.”

The Welsh Government were contacted for a response to the criticism but declined to comment.