THE ROW over Peter Mandelson has escalated after the Welsh Government cleared its own dealings with the Labour grandee — as UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of “lying” about him.

First Minister Eluned Morgan ordered a review into communications between Welsh Government officials and Mandelson following pressure from Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth.

The investigation examined all correspondence — as well as material from documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein — and concluded there was “nothing which represented a risk to the conduct of Welsh Government business.”

But the findings come as Mandelson is once again at the centre of a growing political storm in Westminster.

Westminster clash

Speaking on LBC, Badenoch claimed Starmer had misled Parliament over Mandelson, saying: “This is a man who tells lies at PMQs… just like he did with Peter Mandelson when he said, ‘I didn’t know the full extent of his relationship’, and the papers… showed the opposite.”

While such language would be ruled out of order in the Commons, the accusation marks a significant escalation in political rhetoric around the issue.

Labour has not yet responded to the claims.

Questions remain

In Wales, ministers insist the matter has been fully examined and closed.

However, the Welsh Government has not published the underlying correspondence reviewed, nor detailed the extent of any contact with Mandelson.

That lack of transparency may leave the door open to further scrutiny — particularly given the wider controversy now unfolding at UK level.

Political risk

Although no wrongdoing has been identified, the timing is sensitive.

With the Senedd election approaching, any perceived links — however indirect — to a figure caught up in a Westminster row involving Epstein-related material could prove politically damaging.

Opposition parties are likely to argue that the issue is no longer just about internal processes, but about public trust.

For now, the Welsh Government is standing by its findings.

But as the row intensifies in Westminster, the Mandelson question may not be going away any time soon.

SAMUEL KURTZ MS has called on the UK Government to take immediate action to ease mounting cost-of-living pressures, warning that families across west Wales are being “squeezed from all sides” by rising fuel and energy costs.

Writing to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Senedd Member urged ministers to cancel planned fuel duty increases and introduce fairer, more effective support for rural households living off the gas grid.

Energy bills are forecast to rise to nearly £2,000 from July, while persistently high global oil prices continue to drive up costs at the pumps. Diesel prices have surged in recent months, with petrol also climbing—adding further strain to already stretched household budgets.

Kurtz warned that any increase in fuel duty later this year would hit rural communities hardest, where reliance on cars is unavoidable due to limited public transport.

In parts of west Wales, the challenges are even more acute. In Ceredigion, up to three quarters of households are not connected to the gas grid, while in Pembrokeshire around 40% rely on alternative fuels such as heating oil and LPG. Unlike mains gas users, these households are not protected by energy price caps and remain exposed to volatile global markets.

He also criticised existing support measures, describing them as “limited and reactive,” often only available once households reach crisis point. While recent funding announcements for off-grid households have been welcomed, concerns remain over delays and a lack of clarity around how the support will be delivered.

Kurtz pointed to the UK Government’s response during the 2022 energy crisis, which included the Energy Price Guarantee, £400 bill support, and a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment for off-grid homes.

He said: “Households across west Wales are under real pressure, and for many this is not about cutting back—it’s about keeping up.

“Rural families already face higher costs, whether that’s heating their homes or filling up the car. Increasing fuel duty now would only make that worse.

“Off-grid households are being overlooked. They don’t benefit from price caps and are exposed to volatile fuel costs.

“The UK Government acted decisively during the last energy crisis. The same level of urgency is needed again now.

“The Chancellor must act—cancel the planned fuel duty increases and reintroduce the £200 Alternative Fuel Payment to give households the support they need.”

He warned that without swift intervention, rural communities risk being left further behind as cost pressures continue to rise.

WELSH Labour leader Eluned Morgan has pledged that patients with urgent health concerns will be seen within 48 hours, as the party launched its manifesto ahead of the 2026 Senedd election.

Speaking at an event in Swansea on Monday (Mar 30), Morgan said a re-elected Welsh Labour Government would guarantee access to a GP or other primary healthcare professional on the same day or the following day for pressing issues.

She said: “If you are worried about your child, if your elderly parent needs help, or if something does not feel right, you should be able to get help quickly – not weeks later.”

The pledge forms a central part of Labour’s health offer, alongside plans for same-day, open-access mental health services and a £4bn “Hospitals of the Future” investment programme.

Pressure on delivery

However, the announcement has already prompted questions about how the target would be delivered, given ongoing pressures across NHS Wales.

Latest figures show around 757,000 patient pathways remain on waiting lists, with approximately 38,000 people waiting more than a year for treatment. Previous Welsh Government targets to reduce long waits have also been missed.

The 48-hour target itself is less ambitious than proposals in England, where a 24-hour access standard has been discussed. Morgan has said the Welsh target reflects what is “realistic” given current pressures.

Critics argue the pledge risks repeating a familiar pattern of commitments that prove difficult to deliver in practice.

‘Plans to have plans’

Beyond health, scrutiny of the manifesto has focused on what some commentators have described as a lack of urgency in key policy areas.

Several flagship commitments involve future strategies or reviews, including a promise to publish a new industrial strategy within the first year of the next Senedd term, and proposals to “explore” ways to reduce teacher workload.

Opponents have characterised this approach as “plans to have plans”, questioning whether it reflects the scale of challenges facing Wales in areas such as healthcare, housing and education.

The First Minister has defended the approach, arguing that detailed proposals are set out across the manifesto and that flexibility is needed to respond to changing economic conditions.

Health investment under scrutiny

Labour’s £4bn pledge for new hospitals and infrastructure has also come under examination.

The party says the funding will support major developments, including replacing University Hospital Wales and Wrexham Maelor Hospital, as well as improvements in West Wales.

However, questions remain about whether the funding would be sufficient to cover large-scale rebuilds while also addressing existing maintenance backlogs across the NHS estate.

Morgan said the figure was based on previous capital projects and insisted the funding plans were “realistic”.

Cost-of-living commitments

Alongside its health pledges, Welsh Labour has committed not to raise Welsh rates of income tax during the next Senedd term.

The manifesto also includes a £2 cap on single bus fares, continued discounted travel for young people, free travel for over-60s, and plans to create 20,000 new childcare places.

Labour says the package is designed to ease cost-of-living pressures while supporting economic growth.

A ‘new chapter’ or more of the same?

At the launch, Morgan described the manifesto as the start of a “new chapter” for Wales, signalling a shift from what Labour describes as a period of “protection” through austerity, Brexit and the pandemic, towards a focus on growth and opportunity.

But with Welsh Labour having been in power for more than two decades, opponents argue the party faces a challenge in convincing voters that change will come from the same administration.

While the manifesto contains a range of policy commitments across health, the economy and the environment, the central question is likely to remain whether voters believe the pledges can be delivered.

As the campaign for the May 2026 Senedd election gathers pace, that question is set to dominate the political debate in Wales.