Sir Keir Starmer will warn of a 鈥渂ackroom stitch-up鈥 between the Tories, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru ahead of key elections in Wales next year. In a speech to the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, the Prime Minister is set to say that a coalition of those parties would be a 鈥渞eturn to the chaos and division of the last decade鈥.
It would risk rolling back the progress his party is starting to make, he will claim. Welsh First Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan meanwhile will call next year鈥檚 polls a 鈥渕oment of reckoning鈥 and 鈥渟erious threat鈥 as Reform UK is 鈥渞ising鈥 and Plaid Cymru 鈥渕obilising鈥.
And Labour will announce funding to help those made redundant by the Tata Steel closure in Port Talbot. Reform UK is eyeing an opportunity to end Labour鈥檚 26 years of domination in the Welsh Parliament at the Senedd elections in May next year. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
Labour performed poorly in this year鈥檚 local elections in England, which saw Nigel Farage鈥檚 party win a swathe of council seats. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out making deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform at the next Senedd election.
Welsh Labour leader Baroness Morgan will say the election is not going to be a 鈥渞outine affair鈥. She will add: 鈥淚t will be a moment of reckoning. Reform are rising. Plaid are mobilising.
“And across the country, people are asking big, serious questions about the kind of future they want for Wales. This is not a moment to look away.
“This is the moment to look forward – a moment of maximum opportunity and, yes, also of serious threat. It鈥檚 time to stand up. It鈥檚 time to get involved.鈥
The conference in Llandudno comes on the heels of Sir Keir鈥檚 U-turn on welfare policy to avert a major backbench rebellion that will leave Chancellor Rachel Reeves facing a scramble to fill a potential hole in her budget this autumn.
Ahead of marking a year in office next week, Sir Keir will point to moves his Government has made since the election that he says bring direct benefits to Wales, including international trade deals that give a boost to brands such as Penderyn whisky and legislation to bolster workers鈥 rights.
Wales Secretary Jo Stevens is set to announce a new 拢11 million fund for businesses offering skilled employment in Port Talbot as it seeks to help those left unemployed by Tata Steel鈥檚 closure of the steelworks.
The fund is made up of 拢6.78 million from the Government and 拢5 million from Tata Steel. 鈥淭he Tories abandoned our steelworkers. Reform want to cancel the Electric Arc Furnace, throw away 5,000 jobs, and send people back down the mines.
鈥淲e have the backs of our steelworkers, their families and local businesses,鈥 Ms Stevens will say. Sir Keir will tout the advantages of having parallel Labour governments in Westminster and Wales, with Baroness Morgan leading the latter as a 鈥渇ierce champion鈥.
鈥淭his is the party that has got wages rising faster in the first 10 months than the Tories managed in 10 years. This is the government that is cutting bills and creating jobs. This is the movement that will rebuild Britain and renew Wales,鈥 Sir Keir is expected to say.
Labour is the party with the 鈥渋nterests of working people at their heart鈥 and 鈥渋t always will be鈥, he will say. “Or, there鈥檚 the other option. The risk of rolling back all the progress we鈥檙e beginning to make. A return to the chaos and division of the last decade.
鈥淎 backroom stitch-up between the Tories, Reform and Plaid. And once again, it will be working families left to pick up the bill.
“Whether that鈥檚 with Reform, or with Plaid鈥檚 determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country 鈥 with no plan to put Wales back together.鈥
The Conservatives have said that Labour has 鈥渓et Wales down for far too long鈥.
Shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies said: 鈥淒ivisions between a complacent Welsh Labour and Starmer鈥檚 failing UK Government in Westminster have simply not improved Wales鈥檚 outlook, despite the fabled benefit of two Labour Governments in Wales, which is absolute bunkum.鈥
She also added: 鈥淟abour has let Wales down for too long, taken people for granted and now the PM is making a mess of the entire United Kingdom.鈥