Welsh Labour leader says party has focused too much on powers for Senedd
Welsh Labour leader says party has focused too much on powers for Senedd
Gareth Lewis - Wales political editor; David Deans - Wales politics reporter Sat, November 14, 2026 at 1:43 PM UTC
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Ken Skates became Welsh Labour leader in July
Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates has criticised his party's past stance on devolution, telling members the party had treated standing up for Wales as wanting more powers for the Senedd.
In his first speech at his party's conference since becoming leader, Skates apologised to voters that "needed a Welsh Labour government".
He said in the past the party had prioritised things that had led to a "lively debate in constituency party meetings".
Skates spoke after Burnham suggested the party may not have devolved enough powers to communities when it ran the Cardiff administration.
It is the first conference since Labour lost control of the Welsh government.
A review also criticised the former First Minister's Eluned Morgan's political strategy, dubbed the Red Welsh Way, saying that demands for more powers had fallen flat with voters.
The party lost to the pro-independence party Plaid Cymru in May's Senedd election.
He told the Venue Cymru conference in Llandudno: "Sometimes we've treated standing up for Wales as though it simply means seeking more powers for politicians.
"I reject that test.
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"Standing up for Wales means standing up for the people of Wales, people's jobs and wages, the NHS."
He said "to the people of Wales, on behalf of my party, I am sorry. I'm sorry we fell short on what matters to you most.
Skates said: "Speaking frankly, we sometimes didn't prioritise the things the people truly cared about.
"We didn't make enough impact for those who needed us the most."
He said Labour "sometimes angered the electorate, making it easier for people to look for something different".
Labour sometimes prioritised "things that sounded good on paper or things that would lead, obviously, to a lively debate and constituency party meetings", but didn't necessarily answer the fundamental question of how is this going to improve people's lives, he added.
"What is the Labour Party for, if not to alleviate poverty and lift people's living standards, to create jobs, to improve our communities and deliver for people."
Endorsing Burnham's push for more devolution to the communities, Skates said: "This won't be easy for some to hear, but too much power has been retained in the centre and not devolved onward, where it can make the greatest difference to people's lives.
"The first great chapter of devolution was about moving power from Westminster to Wales. The next chapter must be about moving power closer to people."
He added that Welsh Labour "must be confidence in its identity, but judged by what that identity means for jobs, wages and public services".
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