Mutual Accusations of Arrogance in Final First Minister's Questions
In the last First Minister's Questions session before the Senedd election, leaders of Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru exchanged accusations of arrogance.
Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth criticized First Minister Eluned Morgan for suggesting that a non-Labour first minister "can't have an effective relationship with the UK prime minister." He stated that
"this arrogance is why people are so fed up of Labour"
First Minister Morgan responded by accusing ap Iorwerth of prematurely counting votes, saying,
"you're counting your votes already, aren't you? And the people of Wales are clocking that - the arrogance"
Conservative Leader Emphasizes Cost of Living Measures
Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar also took the opportunity to reiterate his campaign message, declaring,
"the best way to help people with the cost of living is to put more money into people's pockets"
This session marked the final time Elin Jones, the Llywydd, chaired the proceedings before the election. Jones, who will seek re-election as a Plaid Cymru Senedd member on 7 May, has announced she does not intend to continue as presiding officer.
During the often lively but orderly session on Tuesday, Jones humorously remarked,
"I've adopted a kind of laissez faire, let it all go, last week of term to this [today] to see if it strikes a different chord but it doesn't seem to have worked!"
Debate Over Labour's Position and UK Relations
First Minister Morgan highlighted the benefits of Labour holding power in both Wales and Westminster since the 2024 general election, emphasizing the ability to "pick up the phone" and speak directly to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Conversely, Rhun ap Iorwerth characterized this relationship as one where Morgan defers to Starmer at the expense of Welsh interests. He described it as
"profoundly undemocratic" for Labour to claim that a future Welsh first minister cannot maintain an effective relationship with the UK prime minister if not from the same party.
He added,
"This arrogance is why people are so fed up of Labour and why Welsh voters are crying out for new leadership and new ideas."
In reply, Morgan said,
"You're counting your votes already, aren't you? And the people of Wales are clocking that, the arrogance - the taking for granted of what might happen next."
Election Polls and Partisan Exchanges
Opinion polls indicate that Reform and Plaid Cymru are competing for first place in the May election, with Labour potentially losing power after governing Wales since devolution began in 1999.
As expected so close to the election, the session featured rapid, partisan exchanges.
Darren Millar told the first minister,
"Every single Welsh Conservative knows that the best way to help people with the cost of living is to put more money into people's pockets and to reward hard work. That is why we have proposed a tax and waste cutting agenda for Wales."
In response, Morgan referenced the Conservative wipeout in Wales at the UK general election, stating,
"I think the people of Wales have had enough of the Conservatives"
She also accused the opposition of being
"indistinguishable these days from Reform - that is the truth of it"
Energy Policy Debate Involving Reform Party
Earlier, Reform party MS Laura Anne Jones criticized the Welsh government's energy policy, alleging it was
"driven by ideological net zero targets" without consideration for costs, reliability, rural impact, or democratic consent.
She added,
"Despite huge subsidies for inshore wind, Welsh households still face some of the highest bills in Europe while the grid grows more unstable."
The first minister countered,
"I'll tell you what we are opposed to is ideological positions that fail to recognise that climate change is real. Climate change is happening,"
and accused Jones of continuing to deny its existence.
Tribute to Social Care Workforce
In the final pre-election First Minister's Questions exchange, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds paid tribute to the social care workforce, calling for
"a real commitment" to social care in the next Senedd.
First Minister Morgan concluded,
"Let's end this First Minister's Questions on a note that I hope we all can agree on and that is that the people in our communities who need respect, who deserve our respect, are those care workers and in particular those unpaid carers who are doing so much to contribute to our communities."
