New partnership being forged between UK and Welsh governments, conference told

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said she was putting an end to the “toxic legacy of distrust between both governments”, as she accused the Tories of “deliberately” bypassing the Welsh Government.

Wales’s First Minister Eluned Morgan, who took over as the leader of Welsh Labour in August, described herself and Ms Stevens as “feisty” during her conference speech, before adding that the Labour Party had a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” now it was in power in both Cardiff and Westminster.

This comes as a collaboration focused on driving down NHS waiting lists on both sides of the border was announced by the governments.

Parliament and the Senedd are expected to exchange best practice to address the challenges facing the NHS as part of the partnership, with the UK Government drawing inspiration from Wales on improved access to dentistry.

Speaking at the conference in Liverpool, Ms Stevens said: “As the first woman to be Labour Secretary of State for Wales I’m so proud to be working alongside my friends and colleagues Eluned Morgan and Dame Nia Griffith, in a new era for Welsh Labour and for women’s representation at the top of Welsh politics.”

She added: “The inheritance that the Conservatives left us is worse than we ever could have imagined, that £22 billion black hole in the public finances just in this financial year.

“Those pie-in-the-sky commitments the Tories made to people across Wales, but with no money to pay for them.

“A toxic legacy of distrust between both governments, and a Wales Office that had been deliberately led to bypass the Welsh Government.

“But even in those difficult circumstances, we have already found ways to demonstrate the difference that two Labour governments can make.

“We fundamentally reset the relationship between the UK Government and the Welsh Government, and Eluned and I are forging a new partnership based on respect, co-operation and delivery.”

On the new partnership, Ms Stevens said: “This is the beginning of a new way of working together, that will help improve outcomes in both nations and deliver on our missions.”

Ms Morgan opened her speech by stating it was “about time” the Labour Party had a woman running a country.

She went on to say: “The winds of change are blowing, and they’re blowing in Labour’s favour. Can you feel it? The energy, the optimism, the sheer potential of what we can achieve together.

“We now have two Labour governments unite in one mission, to deliver real transformative change for the people of Wales and for the people of the United Kingdom.”

She added: “We can’t achieve everything overnight but I’m delighted to be working with the first woman Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens, and the deputy leader of Welsh Labour Carolyn Harris, as we gear up for that challenge.

“Three feisty women, determined to succeed for the people we represent.

“With Welsh Labour governments in Cardiff and Westminster, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a fairer, greener, and more prosperous future for everyone.”

Elsewhere in her speech, Ms Morgan spoke of her experience growing up in Ely.

She told conference: “I grew up in a vicarage in Ely, Cardiff, formerly Europe’s largest council housing estate, and I witnessed first hand the corrosive impact of inequality and injustice.

“I remember Rob, he was a really bright young boy, who at just 10-years-old found himself wandering the streets after being kicked out of his home, and my father discovered him at the back of our church.

“Rob had the potential to shine as brightly as any of my brothers, but someone had convinced him not to bother turning up for his GCSEs, because exams aren’t for the likes of us.

“Well I’m in politics for the Robs of this world, to ensure that talent isn’t wasted and to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.”