KEIR STARMER this week (Wed, May 29) launched an ambitious plan aimed at revitalising Wales after what he describes as “14 years of failure and decline” under Conservative governments. Joined by Vaughan Gething, First Minister of Wales, and Jo Stevens, Shadow Welsh Secretary, Starmer presented Labour’s six steps for change at a major event in South Wales.

Starmer’s plan promises fundamental changes rather than short-term fixes, with each step fully costed and funded. The Labour leader emphasised that economic stability is the cornerstone of his offer, asserting that this would bring about the most significant transformation after the turbulence of five Prime Ministers in seven years and the economic turmoil attributed to Conservative policies.

Addressing the pressing concern of job security at the Port Talbot steelworks, Starmer reiterated Labour’s commitment to investing in the UK’s steel industry. He also placed Wales at the heart of Labour’s strategy to provide cleaner, cheaper energy, highlighting potential investments in ports like Holyhead, which he visited earlier with Gething and Stevens.

Labour’s six steps for change in Wales include working in collaboration with the Welsh Government to reduce NHS waiting times, recruit new teachers, unlock Wales’s green energy potential, ensure public safety with 13,000 new neighbourhood police, and deliver more teachers to classrooms where they are most needed.

Labour’s Six Steps to Change Wales:

1. Economic Stability: Implement tough spending rules to grow the economy while keeping taxes, inflation, and mortgages as low as possible.
2. Reduce NHS Waiting Times: Focus on patients waiting the longest and those in most need, funded by cracking down on tax avoidance and non-dom loopholes.
3. Border Security Command: Establish a new unit with hundreds of specialist investigators using counter-terror powers to dismantle criminal boat gangs.
4. Great British Energy: Create a publicly-owned clean power company in partnership with the Welsh Labour Government to reduce bills, enhance energy security, and create jobs, funded by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants.
5. Combat Antisocial Behaviour: Increase neighbourhood policing, impose tough penalties on offenders, and invest in youth services, funded by ending wasteful contracts.
6. Recruit New Teachers: Focus on key subjects to prepare children for the future, funded by ending tax breaks for private schools.

Starmer’s Vision for Wales

“This is a chance to vote for a Wales finally free from the impact of Tory chaos and division,” Starmer declared. “These first steps show that a changed UK Labour Party is back in the service of working people in Wales. They show our priorities, what we care about and what the public cares about. Country first, party second.”

Vaughan Gething echoed these sentiments, asserting that July 4th marks a pivotal moment for Wales. “With two Labour governments working in partnership, we can end the churlish Tory war on devolution and back a stronger Welsh economy,” he said. “The UK can once again be led by a Prime Minister and a party that believes in public service and the potential of our communities.”

Starmer and Gething’s joint appearance underscores Labour’s unified approach and commitment to addressing the needs of Wales. The plan aims to rejuvenate the Welsh economy, enhance public services, and create a sustainable future for its citizens.

For continued coverage and updates on this developing story, stay tuned to The Pembrokeshire Herald.