Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to work “in lockstep” with Welsh Labour to reverse its electoral fortunes, urging the party to “take stock” after its defeat by Plaid Cymru in the Senedd elections. Speaking at the party’s Welsh conference on Saturday, Burnham said he would avoid “creating problems” or “going against” what Welsh leader Ken Skates wanted to achieve, but warned the party must “listen” after its humiliation at the polls.
Burnham, who was still mayor of Greater Manchester when the elections took place, told the conference: “You can’t look away. You have to listen, take stock and commit to doing things differently." He said he was taking the approach he used as mayor into his work as Prime Minister, adding: “Let’s be place first before we’re party first."
The context: Labour dominated Welsh politics for a century but went from being in power in Cardiff Bay to a distant third place behind Reform UK in May’s polls.
In his speech, Burnham also said the party must work towards a “reindustrialised nation” of Wales with “revitalised high streets and empowered communities”. He argued devolution should be pushed into Welsh regions beyond the Senedd.
The review into Labour’s May election defeat has been carried out by Public First, with findings presented at the conference by Professor Anand Menon. Welsh leader Ken Skates, who replaced Baroness Eluned Morgan after she was unseated in May, said: “The Senedd elections were a pivotal point for Welsh Labour. The results were catastrophic for the party, that was clear for all to see. … People felt that we had stopped listening, public services were not improving quickly enough and we had taken their support for granted.
Skates said the party would “listen carefully, develop a clear offer for Wales and demonstrate through our actions that we have learned.”
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The defeat in Wales, a traditional Labour stronghold, signals broader discontent with the party and poses a challenge to Burnham’s leadership as he seeks to rebuild trust before the next UK general election.
- The outcome highlights the rise of Plaid Cymru and Reform UK in Welsh politics, reshaping the country’s political landscape.
- The party’s response, including the independent review, will shape its electoral strategy and could influence devolution policy across the UK.
Background
Labour dominated Welsh politics for a century until May 2026, when it fell to third place behind Reform UK and Plaid Cymru in the Senedd elections, losing government after more than 20 years. Former Welsh leader Baroness Eluned Morgan was unseated in the polls and replaced by Ken Skates. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who became PM after winning the 2026 general election, was mayor of Greater Manchester at the time of the Welsh vote.
Key Perspectives
Andy Burnham: The Prime Minister said the party must “listen, take stock and commit to doing things differently” and that he and Ken Skates are “absolutely in lockstep” on reviving Welsh Labour.
Ken Skates: The Welsh Labour leader called the election results “catastrophic” and said the independent review found people felt the party had “stopped listening”, public services were not improving fast enough, and they had “taken their support for granted”. He said the task is to “earn trust again”.
What to Watch
- The full findings of the Public First review and how Welsh Labour responds to its recommendations.
- Whether Burnham’s devolution agenda gains traction in Wales as a way to rebuild the party’s local presence.
- The performance of Plaid Cymru’s government and whether it can capitalise on Labour’s weakness in the next UK election.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
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- SupportedBurnham vowed to work “in lockstep” with Welsh Labour to reverse its electoral fortunes after its Senedd defeat.Nation.Cymru: “Andy Burnham has vowed to work “in lockstep” with Welsh Labour to reverse its electoral fortunes as he urged the party to “take stock” after its humiliation at the Senedd elections.”
- SupportedBurnham urged the party to “take stock” and “listen” after it finished third behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK in May’s elections.Nation.Cymru: “The Prime Minister said he would avoid “creating problems” or “going against” what Welsh leader Ken Skates wanted to achieve but warned the party must “listen” after its defeat by Plaid Cymru. Labour dominated Welsh politics for a century but went from being in power in Cardiff Bay to a distant third place behind Reform UK in May’s polls.”
- SupportedBurnham said he would avoid “creating problems” or “going against” what Ken Skates wanted to achieve.Nation.Cymru: “The Prime Minister said he would avoid “creating problems” or “going against” what Welsh leader Ken Skates wanted to achieve”
- SupportedBurnham said, “You can’t look away. You have to listen, take stock and commit to doing things differently.”Nation.Cymru: “Mr Burnham, who was still mayor of Greater Manchester when the elections took place, said: “You can’t look away. You have to listen, take stock and commit to doing things differently.”
- SupportedBurnham said he was taking his approach as mayor of Greater Manchester into his work as Prime Minister.Nation.Cymru: ““It doesn’t connect with people as much as it should and I’m taking the way I approached being mayor of Greater Manchester into my work as Prime Minister.””
- SupportedBurnham said, “Let’s be place first before we’re party first.”Nation.Cymru: ““Let’s be place first before we’re party first, because at the end of the day, that is what people expect.””
- SupportedLabour went from power in Cardiff Bay to a distant third behind Reform UK in May’s polls.Nation.Cymru: “Labour dominated Welsh politics for a century but went from being in power in Cardiff Bay to a distant third place behind Reform UK in May’s polls.”
- SupportedBurnham said Wales should become a “reindustrialised nation” with “revitalised high streets and empowered communities.”Nation.Cymru: “the Prime Minister said the party must work towards a “reindustrialised nation” of Wales with “revitalised high streets and empowered communities, good jobs, evenly spread all over”.”
- SupportedBurnham argued that devolution should be extended into Welsh regions beyond the Senedd.Nation.Cymru: “Arguing that devolution should also be pushed out into the Welsh regions instead of stopping at the Senedd”
- Partly supportedThe Public First review’s findings were presented at the conference by Professor Anand Menon.Nation.Cymru: “The review into Labour’s May election defeat has been carried out by Public First, with the findings set to be presented at the conference by leading academic Professor Anand Menon.”
- SupportedSkates said the results were “catastrophic” and that people felt Welsh Labour had stopped listening, public services were not improving quickly enough and the party had taken their support for granted.Nation.Cymru: ““The results were catastrophic for the party, that was clear for all to see. But the reasons for our losses, and there were a multitude of reasons, needed a dispassionate assessment. Welsh Labour commissioned this independent review because we needed an honest account of why we lost and what must change. Its findings are difficult and we take them seriously. People felt that we had stopped listening, public services were not improving quickly enough and we had taken their support for granted.””
- SupportedSkates replaced Baroness Eluned Morgan after she was unseated in May.Nation.Cymru: “Mr Skates, who replaced former Welsh leader Baroness Eluned Morgan after she was unseated in May’s polls”