You’re sitting in traffic on the M4 because the Welsh Labour Government scrapped the relief road that was supposed to fix the problem. You’re crawling through a 20mph zone that makes no sense. Your child is on a waiting list for NHS treatment that takes months. And while services break down and scandals pile up, Labour MSs are quietly stepping away from the next election.
Instead of taking responsibility, the Welsh Government is trying to distance itself from UK Labour, as if the mess in Wales is somehow someone else’s fault.
But here’s the truth: it’s not UK Labour damaging the brand in Wales, it’s the Labour Party in the Senedd and the public knows it.
The Vaughan Gething Debacle
You don’t need a focus group to understand what’s gone wrong; look at Vaughan Gething’s short but disastrous time as First Minister.
He was elected in a cloud of controversy, having accepted a £200,000 campaign donation from a company convicted of environmental offences. When challenged, he doubled down instead of stepping aside. Then came no-confidence votes, ministerial resignations, and eventually, his resignation, just months into the job.
This wasn’t just bad politics. It was a collapse of credibility. And it left Labour in Wales looking arrogant, unaccountable, and completely disconnected from the people it claims to represent.
The 20mph Farce
Then there’s the nationwide 20mph speed limit. Billed as a road safety measure, it turned into a national punchline and a deeply unpopular one at that. Businesses were disrupted. Commutes were lengthened. Emergency services raised concerns. Over 470,000 people signed a petition calling for the policy to be reversed, the largest in Welsh history. And yet, Labour pushed it through, insisting they knew best.
The minister behind the 20mph rollout, Lee Waters, went as far as saying:
“Unless we start to shift the way we do transport, our economy is going to get trashed by climate change.”
No evidence. No plan. Just a statement of belief used to justify making everyday life harder for working people.
The NHS is Crumbling Under Their Watch
Wales has worse NHS outcomes than England, and nowhere is that clearer than in waiting times.. The country has some of the longest delays for patients waiting to start treatment, often for routine and non-urgent care. GP access is inconsistent, dental care has collapsed in many areas, and services are regularly overwhelmed.
And here’s the kicker: even Welsh Labour knows it. In 2023, then Health Minister and now First Minister Eluned Morgan admitted that England’s NHS was more productive than parts of the Welsh system, an astonishing admission from a party that’s been in charge of health in Wales for 25 years.
Labour MSs Are Jumping Ship
This shift matters because it shows people are voting on values, not old party lines. The media can cry “populism” all they like – but this is democracy working. When politicians forget who they work for, it’s not extreme to want them out – it’s right.
The old tribal loyalties are dying. A new political energy is rising, not built on ideology, but on honesty.
Whatever the alternative, the message is clear: people want change with courage, not more cowardice in a different colour rosette.
Trying to Distance — Without Taking Responsibility
This week, First Minister Eluned Morgan said she wouldn’t hesitate to challenge Keir Starmer when his policies don’t work for Wales. She raised concerns over changes to disability benefits and the Winter Fuel Allowance. But while Morgan tries to draw a contrast, the problems in Wales didn’t start in Westminster. They started, and are still happening, in Cardiff Bay.
After 25 years in power, Welsh Labour owns the record. And it isn’t a good one.
Follow me on X, Instagram, and Facebook for my regular updates.