"In a little over 100 days three and a half months time voters in Wales will elect a new devolved government. Opinion polls suggest the prospect of a groundbreaking result: Labour being rejected for the first time ever. The valleys of South Wales are steeped in Labour's storied past. Hardie, Bevan, Kinnock and Foot -- the giants of this movement have walked these streets. But the mood within Welsh Labour as it contemplates elections across this nation is bleak, even black."
"The contests here matter for their own sake as they will determine who is responsible for some of the most important public services people rely on every day such as health and education, transport and planning. But they have an outsized significance beyond Wales too, because it is possible the outcome of the races here could have the greatest bearing on Labour's reflections on Sir Keir Starmer's future as prime minister."
"Why? The loss of Wales would be psychologically deeply wounding for Labour. In the last decade or so, Labour lost swathes of its Scottish heartlands, in 2015, only to win them back in 2024. The party lost swathes of its Midlands and northern English heartlands too, in 2019, only to win them back in 2024. But swathes of Wales, through good times and bad for Labour, kept the faith in the party. But perhaps no longer."
In a little over 100 days voters in Wales will elect a new devolved government. Opinion polls indicate Labour may be rejected for the first time since devolution. The valleys of South Wales have a long Labour heritage tied to figures like Hardie, Bevan, Kinnock and Foot. Welsh Labour faces a bleak mood internally as it contemplates the election. The contests will determine responsibility for key public services such as health, education, transport and planning. The outcome could influence perceptions of Sir Keir Starmer's future as prime minister. Wales's historic loyalty to Labour now appears at risk.
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]