Five major pledges announced as Welsh Labour tries to stay in power

walesonline.co.uk · Mar 2, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

Full Article

First Minister Eluned Morgan announced plans to build new hospitals, expand childcare provision, and end homelessness as part of her bid to be re-elected13:32, 02 Mar 2026Welsh Labour leader Eluned Morgan has launched her party’s election campaign ahead of May's all-important Senedd election as Labour fight to stay in power in Wales. According to the latest polling the party faces losing control of the Senedd for the first time since devolution, currently trailing in a distant third place behind Reform and Plaid Cymru, who look set to become the biggest party.‌Speaking to an audience of party activists and new candidates at Newport Market on Monday the First Minister said her party was promising to offer “a new chapter for Wales”. Mrs Morgan announced five major pledges she would work towards if Labour does hold on to power.‌The pledges, which Mrs Morgan said will target the parts of daily life which matter most to people, are a new deal for the NHS, tackling the cost of living, new jobs, protecting the planet, and creating “a fairer future” for Wales. The First Minister said this announcement was just the start of their campaign, adding that Welsh Labour’s manifesto “will go further”.‌Alongside the key pledges the Welsh Labour leader made a number of policy announcements she said she would commit to if she was leading the Senedd after May including introducing easy-to-access same-day mental health services for all. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.She also announced plans to introduce a £2 bus fare cap and 100 additional bus routes; expand childcare provision; £4bn to build "hospitals of the future", including a brand new University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff; a lifelong retraining guarantee; a crackdown on flytippers; a vision for an "energy-independent Wales"; and ending homelessness.‌The five pledgesPledge one - Tackle the cost of livingAs part of this pledge Mrs Morgan said a Labour government would:Introduce a £2 cap on single bus fares across Wales."[Upgrade] more homes" to lower energy bills.Expand funded childcare, phasing it in from nine months old and creating 20,000 new childcare places over the next Senedd term.‌Pledge two - Jobs for the futureThe First Minister said jobs are changing thanks to new developments including AI and the push for greener energy. To help Wales through this transition if elected she said she would:Work to create an energy-independent Wales.Introduce a lifelong retraining guarantee.‌Pledge three - A new deal for our NHSMrs Morgan pledged to spend £4bn to build "hospitals of the future" if she leads the Senedd post May. This money would be used to:Replace the University Hospital of Wales.Redevelop Wrexham Maelor."Support" a new hospital in west Wales.‌The pledge also includes plans to:Introduce same-day mental health services that are easy to access."Deliver more" on women's health including the full implementation of the Welsh Government's Women’s Health Plan, which seeks to introduce better specialist support for conditions like endometriosis.‌Pledge four - Protecting the country we loveAs part of this pledge the First Minister said a new Labour government would:Clean up rivers and seas with a Clean Water Bill for Wales, which would see the introduction of a newregulator, and "real enforcement". Mrs Morgan said: "If you pollute our rivers you will pay. If you dump sewage and foul our waters you will pay."Crackdown on fly-tipping.Grow the natural forest.‌Pledge five - A fairer futureMrs Morgan set out plans to "prioritise those who have the least" by:Ending homelessness by 2034 and pledging no child will be in bed and breakfast accommodation by 2030.Introducing "fair pay agreements" for social care workers and year-round pay for school support staff.Raising school standards with a "relentless focus" on literacy and numeracy.‌During her speech Mrs Morgan also defended Labour’s record in Wales since the start of devolution. She said for the last decade Labour governments in Wales faced having to face protecting Wales as a “daily reality” and were governing with their “sleeves up”. She said budgets were squeezed by Conservative-led governments in Westminster but, in spite of that, her party protected free parking at hospitals, free school breakfasts, and free prescriptions.“I’m proud of that record because it mattered,” Mrs Morgan said.She continued: "But protection was then. And this is now.‌"Now… Wales is ready to move on. Welsh Labour is ready to move on. The context has changed. The UK Government has changed. Funding is finally starting to move in the right direction. The opportunity to plan, to invest, to build … that opportunity is real again."She said a Labour government would use this opportunity to create fairness. "Fairness today must mean progress you can see, progress you can measure, progress you can feel."The First Minister also attacked Plaid Cymru and Reform, stating that “seriousness” in politics is in “short supply”. "Too many parties want the volume without the responsibility. What we are seeing around us, in Wales, and across the UK and right around the world, is a politics that is louder than it is wiser. Angrier than it is useful. More interested in posturing than in progress," she said.‌The First Minister said Reform offers "loud rage" but "no real answers beyond a reckless plan that would rip up the NHS as we know it".She said Plaid Cymru offers slogans and some were even "quite good", she admitted. "But when you ask for the detail, when you ask what changes on day one, what gets cut, and what gets funded in year two, it all starts to dissolve," Mrs Morgan said.Ensure our latest news and sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.Article continues below