Independence organisation YesCymru has responded to a significant intervention from over a third of Welsh Labour Senedd Members.

They’ve written to Keir Starmer warning that the UK Government is bypassing Wales and encroaching on devolved responsibilities.

YesCymru Chair speaks out

Phyl Griffiths, Chair of YesCymru, said:

When Westminster can ignore the Senedd, bypass Welsh Ministers and take decisions about Wales from London, even in fully devolved areas, and even when the same party is in government in both Westminster and the Senedd, it shows clearly that devolution cannot protect Welsh democracy.

Power devolved is power retained. Only independence is the reliable way for Wales to secure the right to govern itself without Westminster meddling.

Using so-called ‘Henry VIII powers’ to ride roughshod over the devolution process is totally unacceptable, and underlines the utter contempt that Westminster continually shows towards Wales.

Labour Senedd Members at odds with London

In their scathing letter, Welsh Labour MSs accuse the UK Government of using the Internal Market Act to act unilaterally in devolved areas. They write:

If this was being done by a Tory Government, we would be calling for a judicial review. This must never happen again.

They also state:

Wales needs and deserves to be treated as an equal part of the UK.

Their intervention reflects long-standing warnings that successive UK Governments, both Labour and Conservative, have chipped away at Welsh self-government. Welsh Labour MSs are now openly criticising their own party in Westminster for continuing the same centralising approach.

This comes at a time when Reform UK is polling in first place across the UK and could attempt to scrap devolution and return Wales to direct London rule.

It demonstrates how quickly democratic powers can be removed when Wales lacks constitutional protection.

YesCymru believes that only independence can provide lasting democratic security and ensure that decisions affecting Wales are always made in Wales.

Featured image via YesCymru

By The Canary

This post was originally published on Canary.