First minister demands 'new deal' from Andy Burnham to make Wales equal with Scotland
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Figure caption
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth told Prime Minister Andy Burnham "do not undermine Wales"
By
David Deans
,
Wales political reporter
and
Cemlyn Davies
,
Wales political correspondent
Published
1 October 2026
Updated 4 hours ago
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has demanded a "new deal" for Wales from the UK government that would put the country on an equal footing with Scotland.
In a letter he said powers over policing, justice, rail and the Crown Estate should be transferred to Cardiff.
Speaking at Plaid Cymru's conference in Llandudno, the party's leader said Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised him he would not undermine Wales.
Ap Iorwerth is expected to meet the prime minister, along with the first ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland, at the end of the month.
The UK government said it was "committed to building a stronger and fairer Wales in a stronger and fairer United Kingdom".
Plaid Cymru is gathering in Llandudno's Venue Cymru for the first time since it won a historic victory at the Senedd election in May.
The party had won power for the first time, ending Labour's 27 year control of the Welsh government.
Ap Iorwerth said the result amounted to a "new dawn" for Wales, and "the beginning of our work to give flight to a nation whose wings have been clipped for far too long."
But he warned that the upcoming Welsh government budget process would be "tough", and said he would have to "find savings where we can".
The Plaid leader said his meeting with Burnham at the Commonwealth Games "did leave me feeling positive" - here they had an experienced devolutionist who wanted to bring power and people closer together.
"But as the weeks went on, it became increasingly clear that the prime minister's wave of new powers risked crashing against Offa's Dyke."
He accused Burnham of having a "devolution programme for England".
Speaking to party activists, ap Iorwerth said: "I've looked him in the eyes and said do not undermine Wales as a nation. Do not bypass our Senedd. And he looked me in the eyes and promised he would not. I will hold him to that."
Scotland's government and parliament has more control over the country's own affairs than Wales, where policing and justice are controlled in Westminster, and not Cardiff, and where rail is largely devolved.
Ap Iorwerth said his proposed "new deal" would "redress the historic unfairness of our fiscal and constitutional settlement and put Wales on an equal footing with Scotland as a bare minimum".
"It remains my hope that the prime minister will listen in a shared spirit, and that he'll see that the respect agenda between the Welsh and UK governments must work both ways," he said.
"If he fails, Wales will know again that our best interests will never be served by Westminster, and that it matters little whether who lives in Number 10 Downing Street is an Evertonian or an Old Etonian."
Ap Iorwerth has sent a 2,000 word letter to Burnham spelling out his requests.