Eluned Morgan to set out ‘red Welsh way’ in speech criticising Starmer
GuardianMAY 7
Welsh Leader Challenges Starmer on Welfare Cuts
Above: First Minister and Labour leader in Wales, Baroness Eluned Morgan, delivers a keynote speech marking one year to the 2026 Senedd election, at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff, Wales, on May 6, 2025. Image copyright: Ben Birchall/Contributor/PA Images via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Keir Starmer's Labour Party is alienating left-leaning voters by cutting winter fuel payments and slashing welfare, leaving pensioners and those in need of help struggling. Baroness Morgan's call for a winter fuel U-turn is just one example of internal frustration as the party hemorrhages votes to the Lib Dems and the Greens. Without reversing course, Labour's popularity will continue to plummet.
Pro-government narrative
Labour's decision to means-test winter fuel payments, though unpopular, is a necessary step to stabilize the economy and prioritize the poorest pensioners. Saving £1.4 billion annually, it funds critical public services. Keir Starmer's resolve shows fiscal responsibility, and reversing course now would undermine this progress.
Right narrative
Labour's infighting over winter fuel cuts reveals a party in disarray. Having promised radical change, Starmer has offered nothing other than a "status quo austerity lite" that fails to understand the needs of the British people. If the Runcorn by-election wasn't enough evidence, internal disputes are yet further evidence that the public sees Farage as the only option to finally fix a broken Britain.