Burnham Reshuffle Won't Matter Unless Welsh Labour MPs Start Fighting for Wales

• The Welsh Liberal Democrats have said that any reshuffle of the Welsh Labour frontbench by Andy Burnham will make little difference unless Labour MPs and ministers finally start standing up for Wales inside government.
  
   
• The party said that for much of Sir Keir Starmer's premiership, Wales has enjoyed unprecedented representation at the highest levels of government, with up to 15 Welsh Labour MPs serving on the front bench (as ministers, whips and parliamentary private secretaries) across Whitehall at any one time.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats argue that, despite this level of representation, Wales has too often been left at the back of the queue. 

They point to Wales being denied billions in consequential funding from projects such as HS2, receiving a disproportionately low share of UK infrastructure investment and continuing to lose out on research and development funding needed to attract new industries and create high-skilled jobs. They also highlight that communities which previously benefited from European development funding are receiving less support than they did before Brexit.

The party said there has been little evidence that Welsh Labour MPs and ministers have worked collectively to challenge decisions that disadvantage Wales or to secure a fairer deal for the nation. Despite holding senior positions across government, they argue that this influence has not translated into tangible improvements for Welsh communities.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats also pointed to the failure to secure a fairer funding settlement for Wales, the continuing pressure on public services and the lack of a clear strategy from Westminster Labour to tackle Wales' longstanding productivity gap. 

They said that reshuffling ministerial jobs will make little difference unless Welsh Labour politicians are prepared to use their influence inside government to deliver meaningful results for Wales.

Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said:

“Andy Burnham can reshuffle as many titles as he likes, but Wales won't see any real change unless Welsh Labour politicians finally start fighting Wales’ corner in government.

"The problem has never been a lack of Welsh Labour politicians in positions of influence. Under Keir Starmer, Wales has had more Labour MPs embedded within government than at almost any point in recent history. At times there have been thirteen Welsh Labour MPs serving as ministers, whips and parliamentary aides.

"The problem is that they have acted as representatives of the UK government in Wales, rather than representatives of Wales in the UK government.

"When Wales was denied billions in rail funding, where was the coordinated rebellion? When communities lost out on European funding replacement schemes, where was the pressure campaign from Welsh Labour ministers? When Welsh businesses and universities are highlighting the Welsh economy is missing out on vital R&D funding where was the collective voice standing up for Wales around the Cabinet table?

"Time and again Welsh Labour MPs have chosen loyalty to the party hierarchy over loyalty to the communities who elected them.

"If Labour wants to show Wales it's changed, it needs more than a reshuffle; they need politicians who are prepared to fight Wales' corner, challenge their own leadership when necessary and stop treating Westminster's priorities as more important than Wales' needs.

"Until that happens, changing job titles won't change outcomes and the Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for a fair deal for Wales."

ENDS