**Eluned Morgan Dodges Direct Rating of Keir Starmer’s First Year in Office in Candid Interview**
In a revealing exchange this week, Wales’ First Minister, Eluned Morgan, found herself in an unexpectedly tricky position during a Sky News interview. Appearing on the ‘Electoral Dysfunction’ podcast with Sky political editor Beth Rigby, Morgan was asked to provide her own score for the performance of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government during its inaugural year—a question which prompted a notably awkward reaction.
When pressed to rate the UK Labour government out of ten, Lady Morgan seemed momentarily caught off guard, exclaiming: “Oh my God. That’s a big question, isn’t it? It’s tough… Oh my God. It’s a difficult question and I’m not going to answer it because I’ll get into all sorts of trouble if I do that.” Her reluctance to respond illustrates the complexities and political sensitivities facing Labour politicians amidst shifting public opinion, particularly in Wales.
While Morgan refrained from assigning a numerical value to Starmer’s administration herself, she did reflect on the relationship between Wales and Westminster in the post-Conservative period. Morgan described the advent of a Labour government at UK level as “really good news” for Wales, though she was careful to note there were many areas in need of improvement—particularly highlighting aspects such as welfare reform and support with winter fuel costs. “I think there’s lots of areas for them to improve on. We can all improve on what we do,” she observed.
During the same segment, Rigby revealed that a focus group of Welsh voters had been asked to score Starmer’s government, returning an average of just 5.5 out of ten. Responding to this score, the First Minister said, “I think they think there’s a lot of room for improvement, particularly on welfare reform and winter fuel. I am utterly relieved that they have changed their minds on those two things.” Morgan admitted the grilling had left her “absolutely cringing” and underscored the dilemmas facing Welsh Labour at a critical juncture.
This moment comes amid mounting political turbulence for Labour in Wales. Polls in recent months indicate growing support for Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, with Labour now trailing in several voter intention surveys ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections. Three consecutive polls have shown Labour potentially finishing behind both Plaid Cymru and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
In the latest in-depth survey conducted by More in Common for Sky News—which polled 883 people across Wales between June 18 and July 3—support for Labour in a prospective Senedd election stood at 23%. Reform came out on top with 28%, closely followed by Plaid Cymru at 26%. The Conservatives, once the official opposition in the Senedd, slumped further, polling only 10%.
Strikingly, the data also suggested a significant level of uncertainty and volatility within Labour’s traditional voter base. Less than half (48%) of those who supported Labour in the 2024 general election said they would do so again in a Senedd election if held now. The greatest share of defectors moved to Plaid Cymru (15%) and Reform UK (11%), whilst 13% of former Labour voters remained undecided about their future allegiance.
This latest result echoes findings from other recent polls. For example, a YouGov/ITV Cymru Wales survey in May put Labour in third place, with Plaid Cymru leading, while research by Find Out Now threw Reform UK to the top of the rankings. Political analysts suggest these figures reflect a growing appetite among voters for alternatives to the traditional main parties, particularly as issues like welfare and the cost of living stay in the spotlight.
The hesitation of the First Minister to directly evaluate her party’s UK leader on a scale is perhaps emblematic of the broader uncertainty facing Labour in Wales. As she herself recognised, the party’s work is far from complete—and with the next Senedd election less than a year away, its leadership will be acutely aware that their performance is now subject to ever-closer public scrutiny.
Labour’s challenge in Wales is not only to retain its core base but also to persuade undecided voters and those considering alternatives that it has both the vision and the competence to govern effectively. How the party responds to this moment of introspection could well determine its fortunes in 2026 and beyond.