### Doubts Linger Over Labour’s Pledge to Wales on Youth Justice Devolution
A key promise made to Wales by the UK Labour Party ahead of the last general election has come under scrutiny, after recent comments from a government minister cast uncertainty over the fulfilment of that commitment. The party’s manifesto explicitly committed to exploring the devolution of youth justice powers to the Welsh Government, a step long advocated by both political leaders and independent commissions within Wales. However, exchanges in the Senedd this week have raised questions about the pace and seriousness with which this promise will be pursued.
Labour’s manifesto ahead of the 2024 general election declared: “We will work with the Welsh Labour Government to consider devolution of youth justice.” This pledge was recently echoed by First Minister Eluned Morgan at the Welsh Labour conference, where she reaffirmed her government’s intention to continue pushing for greater control over youth justice matters.
Despite these strong words, a degree of hesitancy appeared during a session of the Senedd’s equality and social justice committee. Lord James Timpson, the UK minister responsible for prisons, parole, and probation, seemed to temper expectations regarding the handover of these powers. His remarks were taken by Committee Chair Jenny Rathbone, herself a Labour Member of the Senedd, as signalling a retreat from the initial commitment. Rathbone stated, “The Welsh Government had already laid significant groundwork, believing there was a real prospect of devolution in the near future. Today’s evidence from Lord Timpson, however, struck a very different note, dampening hopes for early progress.”
Calls for devolution have been consistent in Wales. A 2019 independent commission led by Lord Thomas, who previously headed the judiciary, recommended that justice policy should be both determined and delivered in Wales. Moves towards this goal have, nevertheless, remained slow. A November report outlined three main options for devolving responsibilities: only executive powers, complete transfer of law-making as well as executive duties, or a model based on joint commissioning of services.
In his evidence to the committee, Lord Timpson suggested the current focus would be on pursuing a co-commissioning model with the Welsh Government, rather than full devolution. He cited “massive pressures” on the justice system as a reason that further change was not a priority at this time. This position was met with disappointment by several committee members, including Labour’s Mick Antoniw, a former counsel general. Antoniw described the mass of evidence supporting devolution as overwhelming and called for urgent, meaningful action instead of further prevarication. “Another decade of delay will only see us patching over deep-rooted problems, rather than delivering sustainable solutions grounded in the evidence we already have,” he warned.
The debate also touched on the probation service, an area currently experiencing acute strain with average officer caseloads of 35, according to the minister. Timpson expressed more concern over probation than prisons, highlighting instability within the service. MPs and MSs from various parties pressed the minister to clarify if the government truly intended to press ahead with devolution, or would opt for a Manchester-style co-commissioning approach where powers, including control over budgets, remain firmly at Westminster.
Pressed by Adam Price, former MP and ex-leader of Plaid Cymru, Lord Timpson declined to commit himself and cited the pressing crisis facing the justice system. “I’m not ruling anything out, but my focus right now must be to resolve the current challenges,” he asserted, before leaving the session early to vote in the House of Lords.
The matter was subsequently raised in the Senedd’s main chamber, where further probing led to Welsh Government officials reaffirming their intention to press on with preparations. Julie James, Wales’ counsel general, assured members that cross-party cooperation was ongoing and Welsh officials had already been appointed to advance the youth justice devolution project. Plans are underway for ministers to visit Manchester and study its joint commissioning model, indicating active exploration of all available options.
Mrs James emphasised that the process of devolution is complex, mentioning that Lord Timpson’s remit as prisons minister currently restricts his involvement in policy direction on devolution. Yet, she insisted the UK Labour Government was honouring its commitment to “explore” devolving powers as stated in the election manifesto and expressed confidence that progress would be made during Labour’s first term.
While the issue remains unresolved, the growing evidence base and the pressure from Welsh politicians suggest calls for devolution of justice and probation services will continue. With key political figures in Cardiff and Westminster now actively debating next steps, the question of whether Labour will ultimately keep its promise to Wales remains open—underlining the long road ahead for constitutional reform and policy autonomy in the justice sector.