Eluned Morgan sat down in Milford Haven for a wide-ranging interview with The Herald as voters in Ceredigion Penfro prepare to decide who they trust on the NHS, education, rural Wales and the future of west Wales

IN a major pre-election interview with The Herald, First Minister Eluned Morgan defended Labour’s record in Wales while facing direct questioning on the future of Withybush Hospital, job shortages for newly qualified NHS staff, declining school standards, farming anger, rural school closures, youth violence and environmental failures. In a conversation lasting more than half an hour, she made a series of promises — but also stopped short of giving cast-iron guarantees on some of the issues causing greatest concern in Pembrokeshire.

MILFORD HAVEN became the stage for one of the most important political interviews of the Senedd election campaign this week, as First Minister Eluned Morgan sat down with The Herald to answer the questions many west Wales voters are asking.

With just weeks to go before polling day, the interview cut straight to the issues dominating life in Pembrokeshire and beyond: the future of Withybush Hospital, the state of the NHS, school discipline and standards, pressure on family farms, the fallout from youth violence, river pollution, housing delays and whether Labour, after decades in power in Wales, can still credibly promise change.

From the outset, the Herald challenged the First Minister on the central argument now being made by many disillusioned voters — that Labour has had long enough.

Morgan’s answer was clear: she insisted that Labour remains the only party with the experience to govern responsibly, and warned that opposition parties were making promises they could not afford to keep. But while she repeatedly defended her government’s record, she also conceded on at least one key point that standards in Welsh schools today are “not” good enough.

That exchange alone will resonate with many parents.

But it was the future of Withybush that dominated much of the interview.

Morgan rejected repeated warnings that the hospital is under threat, accusing political opponents of raising closure fears at every election. She said Withybush is not going to close and pointed to millions of pounds already spent on fire safety and concrete repairs. She also claimed there would be more same-day emergency care, more cancer care and more orthopaedic surgery at the site.

Yet when pressed on whether she could rule out any further downgrading of services, the answer was notably less firm. Morgan said such decisions ultimately sit with the health board rather than politicians, while arguing that some highly specialist services may need to be centralised if patients are to see the best surgeons available.

That answer is unlikely to settle nerves in Pembrokeshire, where concern over the long-term future of local hospital services remains deeply rooted.

The Herald also put to the First Minister an increasingly difficult contradiction for Welsh Labour: how can ministers talk about recruitment shortages in the NHS while newly qualified nurses, paramedics and midwives are being told there may be no jobs for them in Wales?

Morgan said NHS staffing had increased by 12 per cent in five years and argued that the current situation reflected a mismatch between recruitment, retirements and specialist vacancies. She said she was confident the problem would “shake out”, but for many students and graduates facing uncertainty right now, that may sound more like hope than a plan.

The pressure did not ease when the discussion turned to waiting times. The Herald raised the example of a 10-and-a-half-hour wait in A&E at Withybush, with not enough seats and people reportedly sitting on the floor. Morgan argued Wales had been slower to recover after the pandemic because it had taken a more cautious approach, but said long waits were coming down and promised improved access to primary care and same-day mental health support if Labour is returned to office.

On dentistry, she acknowledged the depth of the problem. Asked about a woman who had waited three years for NHS dental treatment and was then offered a dentist in Carmarthen, Morgan admitted many dentists had left the public sector for more lucrative private work. Her answer was to point to contract changes and plans for a new dental school in Wales, with hopes that more rural trainees could eventually be kept in west Wales.

Education brought one of the interview’s clearest moments. Asked directly whether Welsh schools are good enough today, Morgan answered with a blunt “no”.

She said the pandemic had damaged attendance, resilience and behaviour, and argued that Labour had responded with free school meals, uniform support and more mental health help in schools. But the admission itself was striking, especially when set against Labour’s long period in office.

The Herald then turned the conversation to west Wales specifically, including concern over standards in Pembrokeshire and the shocking recent incident at Milford Haven School in which a teacher was stabbed. Morgan described that incident as “utterly unacceptable” and said behaviour must improve, while also pointing to investment in school buildings and plans for a new school for Milford Haven.

On rural schools, however, her response was less interventionist. Asked whether she accepted that the closure of a rural school weakens the whole community, Morgan acknowledged their importance but said such decisions must ultimately be made by local councils.

The interview also tackled a subject that has become impossible to ignore in west Wales: youth violence. In the wake of the Tenby stabbings, Morgan said what had happened was “utterly unacceptable” and argued that visible policing and stronger youth support were needed. But when asked plainly whether youth services in west Wales are strong enough right now, she did not give a straightforward yes. Instead, she said some areas were doing well while others needed strengthening.

Farming was another major flashpoint.

The Herald put to the First Minister the anger and anxiety felt by many family farmers over the Sustainable Farming Scheme, and the widespread belief that Welsh Labour has made rural communities feel attacked rather than supported. Morgan rejected that view, saying farmers are receiving more support than ever from the Welsh Government, with hundreds of millions of pounds going into the sector.

But she also insisted that public money must come with public benefit, arguing that farming support must help tackle climate change and environmental damage as well as food production.

Her most politically charged remarks came when she linked current farming pain to Brexit, saying many farmers had voted for promises that had not been kept and were now paying the price. That argument may appeal to Labour supporters, but it is unlikely to calm resentment in a sector that often feels talked at rather than listened to.

The spread of the new enlarged Senedd and the redrawing of the electoral map also featured in the interview. Morgan argued that having more Senedd members was necessary if Welsh democracy was to function properly, despite public frustration over the cost. She also sought to turn geography into an advantage, telling voters that having a First Minister who lives in west Wales means the region has a direct voice “at the top table”.

That was part of a wider effort to present herself as a leader still in mid-delivery rather than a tired incumbent. Morgan repeatedly stressed that she has only been First Minister for around 18 months and pointed to social housing, women’s health hubs, free school meals and reduced waiting lists as evidence she is already delivering change.

For Pembrokeshire readers, though, the most significant parts of the interview may have been her commitments on local healthcare, transport, jobs and infrastructure.

Morgan spoke of the potential for a new west Wales hospital, better primary care access, a proper transport plan for every health board and the long-term economic opportunity of green energy and Freeport-linked investment. She also backed major infrastructure to unlock those opportunities, including pylons, while acknowledging that communities affected by them should be compensated.

That position sets up a clear dividing line in west Wales politics: economic development versus landscape concerns, urgency versus caution.

The discussion ended where it began — at Withybush.

Asked one final time whether she could rule out further downgrading, Morgan again declined to offer a simple guarantee. Instead, she returned to the language of planning, health board responsibility and the need for safe transport to specialist care.

For readers in Pembrokeshire, that may be the clearest takeaway of all.

The First Minister came to Milford Haven with firm talking points, some big promises and a strong defence of Labour’s record. But under questioning from The Herald, she also made important admissions, particularly on school standards, and left some of the biggest local fears only partly answered.

As the election nears, voters will decide whether that is enough.

Five key takeaways from the Herald interview

Withybush remains the number one concern
Morgan insisted the hospital is not closing and said more services are coming, but stopped short of ruling out all future downgrading.

A blunt admission on schools
Asked if Welsh schools are good enough today, the First Minister said no.

NHS jobs contradiction exposed
The Herald challenged Labour on shortages in the NHS while newly qualified staff face uncertainty over jobs.

Farmers offered money — but not comfort
Morgan said farmers are receiving more support than ever, but defended environmental conditions and blamed Brexit for much of the pressure.

Labour’s pitch is experience over risk
Morgan’s core argument was that Labour may be imperfect, but the alternatives are promising what they cannot deliver.

Promises made in Milford Haven

• Withybush Hospital will stay open
• More same-day emergency care, cancer care and orthopaedic support at Withybush
• A long-term ambition for a new west Wales hospital
• Access to a primary care professional within 48 hours for urgent cases
• Same-day mental health support under Labour’s plans
• Continued pursuit of major green energy and infrastructure investment in west Wales