Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan has warned that next year’s Senedd election could plunge the country into “chaos” if voters back Plaid Cymru or Reform UK.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Morgan said only Labour could provide “experience and stability in an age of instability,” while accusing her opponents of making empty promises that would damage communities across South West Wales and beyond.
‘Fantasy politics’ vs ‘stability’
Eluned Morgan, Welsh Labour leader and First Minister, told delegates: “Wales will fall into chaos if either Plaid or Reform wins in May. What we need is experience and stability in an age of instability.”
She accused Reform of planning to “gut the NHS, axe free prescriptions, and flog off and frack everything that moves,” while branding Plaid’s independence drive as “fantasy politics” that would leave families worse off.
Morgan also pledged new licensing powers to curb the spread of vape shops on high streets, and confirmed that businesses seeking Welsh Government support would need to pay the Real Living Wage, end exploitative zero-hours contracts and support trade union access.
UK Labour backs Welsh delivery
Jo Stevens, Secretary of State for Wales, reinforced the message, warning that Plaid’s independence plans would mean “billions of pounds of tax rises and biting austerity forced on working people across Wales.”
She highlighted joint UK and Welsh Labour investment in South West Wales, including employment schemes in Neath Port Talbot, nearly half a billion pounds in rail upgrades, and the £200 million Pride in Place Programme to regenerate high streets.
“Labour has ended austerity in Wales. Don’t let Reform or Plaid impose it again,” she said.
Election battle lines drawn
The Senedd election is scheduled for May 2026, with Labour positioning itself as the party of delivery and stability. Both Morgan and Stevens framed the contest as a choice between Labour’s record of investment and what they called the “division” of their opponents.
Plaid Cymru responded by accusing Labour of “talking Wales down,” while pointing to policies such as the two-child benefit cap as evidence that working families are struggling under Labour’s watch.
With polls showing Labour under pressure, the party is betting that a message of stability versus “chaos” will resonate with voters across Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend.
