The Welsh government has expressed disappointment after a promised June meeting between UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth was called off.
Shortly after the Senedd election, Downing Street indicated that the prime minister would meet with devolved leaders from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland this month. However, a Plaid Cymru source stated that the Welsh administration attempted to arrange the meeting but no date could be agreed upon. A spokesman for the first minister attributed the cancellation to "instability in Westminster."
Downing Street responded by saying, "The prime minister remains committed to meeting with the first ministers as soon as possible."
Ap Iorwerth and Starmer had spoken in May following the historic Senedd election, which ended Labour's 20-year control of the Welsh government and made Plaid Cymru the largest party in Cardiff Bay. During that call, the two sides offered differing accounts. The Welsh government claimed Starmer was "open to a conversation" about granting more powers to the Senedd, while Downing Street stated they discussed "working together constructively in the national interest" on issues like the cost of living and the Middle East crisis.
The prime minister invited the first minister to an in-person meeting in June, alongside the leaders of Scotland and Northern Ireland, but no date was ever publicly announced. It later emerged that ap Iorwerth had raised Welsh independence during their conversation.
On Wednesday, the first minister's spokesman said, "It is disappointing that the meeting initially proposed for June is now no longer taking place. We are still determined to establish a constructive relationship with the UK government and to press the case for fair funding, alongside the devolution of policing, justice, welfare, the Crown Estate and rail powers. The current instability in Westminster must not be allowed to hamper our ability to pursue the issues which matter to the people of Wales."
A UK government spokesperson reiterated, "The prime minister remains committed to meeting with the first ministers as soon as possible, and our teams are continuing to work with theirs to agree a suitable time in everyone's diaries. In the meantime, there is regular and constructive engagement at all levels with devolved administrations."
Separately, in the House of Commons on Wednesday, UK Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens criticized the Plaid Cymru-led Welsh government for not confirming whether it supports the UK's full membership in NATO. Stevens had written to the government seeking a commitment to Valor, a scheme aiding veterans. Finance Minister Elin Jones responded on June 8, assuring that the Welsh government remains committed to the Armed Forces Covenant and fair access to services for veterans.
The Welsh government issued a statement saying, "Defence and foreign affairs are non-devolved matters reserved for the UK government. Wales is a member of Nato by default through the UK, and all strategic decisions – including Nato commitments – are made in Westminster. Any suggestion that the Welsh government has sought to undermine or withdraw support for the UK's membership of Nato is therefore incorrect and misleading."