NATIONALIST leader Rhun ap Iorwerth today called on Labour voters in Wales to return Plaid Cymru MPs to pressure Sir Keir Starmer to support devolution.

The new leader was speaking in Westminster, making a direct appeal to supporters of devolution in all parties in Wales.

Mr ap Iorwerth pointed to last week’s Senedd vote to reject the Westminster government’s Illegal Migration Bill as it impacted on devolved responsibilities.

Since 2020, the Senedd has refused to give its consent to 10 Westminster Bills that infringe on devolved competencies. 

But Mr ap Iorwerth pointed out that “not once” has the British government repealed legislation following the Senedd’s rejection of legislative consent motions.

“We can no longer tolerate this erosion of our devolution settlement,” he said.

“The Tories’ actions undermine the very essence of our Welsh democracy.”

Mr ap Iorwerth also slammed the Labour Party on devolution, saying: “While Labour talks a big game on devolution, their plans do nothing to change the fact that our Senedd remains subservient to Westminster.”

The Plaid leader was criticising former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown’s report, A New Britain: Renewing our Democracy and Rebuilding our Economy.

Mr ap Iorwerth claimed that the Brown report tinkers with the devolution settlement, but “sustains the principle, at the core of much of the British constitution, of parliamentary supremacy.

“But without a strong Plaid Cymru group of MPs, Wales will be an afterthought for Keir Starmer,” Mr ap Iorwerth said.

A Welsh Labour spokeswoman hit back at the claim saying: “Only Welsh Labour is standing up for Wales and its future — the Tories won’t and Plaid can’t.”