Labour Wales Faces Critical Crisis, Says Former Minister
There was "no single reason" for Welsh Labour's performance in the Senedd election in May, according to Lee Waters.
Welsh Labour is confronting a "critical crisis" and must learn lessons from its poor showing in the Senedd election, said the former minister.
Seeing the party secure only nine seats in Cardiff was described as a "painful and frustrating experience" by Lee Waters, the former transport minister in the last Labour government in the Senedd.
Labour came third behind Plaid Cymru (43 seats) and Reform (34 seats), after having won every Senedd election since devolution began in 1999.
A spokesperson for Welsh Labour said:
"These were disastrous results for us and we need to take time to confirm what went wrong."
Mark Drakeford links Welsh Labour's decline to lack of new powers
Former MP: Losing Welsh-speaking support is a crisis for Labour
Analysis of Election Results
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme, Waters stated there was "no single reason why Labour fell" and that "addressing the scale and scope of the loss is the first thing" to do.
"This is a critical crisis and I think Labour now needs to return to its core principles and rethink its purpose.
We came within 4,000 votes of the Conservatives - that's how bad it was - so I think a healthy discussion is necessary."
Failing to secure a seat in the Ceredigion Pembroke constituency, Eluned Morgan became the first leader of any UK government to lose her seat while in office.
Controversial Speed Limit Policy
Waters is best known as the minister responsible for the contentious 20mph speed limit policy.
He acknowledged that the policy "definitely... caused quite a lot of trouble."
"We took a hit for that - I don't deny it.
It has achieved great things, but there was a price to pay for it."
Reducing the driving speed from 30mph to 20mph in urban areas remains a subject of debate, although statistics suggest a decrease in accident numbers since the change.
Challenges for Plaid Cymru and Infrastructure Issues
Waters added that Plaid Cymru faces several difficult decisions while governing for the first time in Cardiff in years from the backbenches.
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has pledged to find a solution to M4 congestion, with a "road-based" answer, after the Labour government abandoned a relief road plan in 2019.
"Will it be easy to deliver? No, and it won't be cheap either," Mr Waters said.
"As opposition, your job is to try to secure as many allies as you can.
There is no compulsion on you to choose, nor to compromise."
In response to his comments, the Welsh Government said:
"We are clear that there is a great need to address congestion on the M4 around Newport, alongside improvements to our railways and other transport methods."
£114m was spent on planning for the relief road before the project was halted.
Labour’s Reflection on Election Results
A spokesperson for Welsh Labour stated:
"Voters raised serious concerns about access to the NHS, roads, local services, cost of living, and trust in politics.
These are issues in people's daily lives and they felt we were not doing enough to help with those.
We cannot ignore that. These results are a reflection on all of us and we must all learn lessons from them."
Follow Cymru Fyw on Facebook, X, Instagram, or TikTok.
Send any story ideas to cymrufyw@bbc.co.uk or contact via WhatsApp on 07709850033.
for the latest from Wales on your mobile device.
