Tata Steel: Keir Starmer says he has a plan for the 'next generation of jobs' in Port Talbot

Sir Keir Starmer has hinted at his plans for Wales if the Labour Party wins the next general election.

Whilst visiting the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, the Labour leader said he would do more to protect jobs in the town.

Looking ahead to the possibility of a Labour win at the next election, he promised a "decade of national renewal" for Wales.

In September, the UK government agreed to invest £500m of public money to secure the future of Tata Steel in Port Talbot.

But unions fear the move could lead to around 3,000 job losses, mainly in south Wales.

"We would be more ambitious: we want to drive up the demand for steel, we need to go to clean power by 2030", he said.

"We want to ensure there is a plan that preserves the jobs we have got, the experience we've got - we've got 100 years' worth of experience here in Port Talbot - combine that with a bridge to the future so that the future generation of jobs is here.

"That is going to require stability, growing the economy and a plan for steel.

"We have that plan, and if we're privileged enough to come into power we hope to be operating that plan which will mean the next generation of jobs here in south Wales are vitally important."

Turning his attention to the Welsh Government's finances, the leader of the opposition said an incoming Labour Westminster Government would "work with the Welsh Government on a rules-based basis".

"We say put 13 years of decline behind us, and go for a decade of national renewal which will hugely benefit Wales."

Last week, the Finance Minister set out how the Welsh Government will revise its spending plans for the current financial year in the light of an expected £900m shortfall.

Sioned Williams MS, Member of the Senedd for South Wales West, said: "In Plaid Cymru, we are fighting for a Welsh economy that respects workers’ rights and for jobs that last far beyond the whims of Westminster.

"Keir Starmer says that he has a plan for steel, but doesn't actually go into detail.

"Starmer has very limited knowledge of the Welsh economy, and it will take more than a courtesy visit to Wales to convince workers that he will be on their side at some point in the future."

She added: "He makes no commitment to giving Wales the billions we’re owed from HS2, and won’t make a single promise to the workers of Wales.

"The steel workers of Port Talbot, like all workers and small business owners across Wales, want ambition and commitment from their political representatives. With Keir Starmer, we still don't know what he actually stands for."

• Here's an analysis by our Political editor Adrian Masters

Keir Starmer hasn’t been a stranger to Wales since becoming UK Labour leader in 2020, stepping up the level of interaction between his office and that of Mark Drakeford significantly compared to previous leaders of the party. 

That was a surprise to begin with: both men are from different political wings of the Labour movement, with Mark Drakeford a strong supporter of the previous leader Jeremy Corbyn. 

That support was never fully reciprocated though, not in the way that it has been under Keir Starmer. The truth is, wherever they start from politically, both men are political pragmatists and it’s that which has led to a clearly strong relationship. 

It’s hard to think of any previous leader referring to Welsh Labour’s record in government as a “blueprint” as Sir Keir has done and as the Conservatives have gleefully seized upon when they want to highlight what they see as Labour’s failings in Wales.

In reality, neither Welsh leader nor UK leader expect a Labour UK Government to be modelled exactly on the Welsh Government, but it does show a respect that hasn’t been as noticeable before. 

Even at this stage with a Labour UK Government far from guaranteed, it’s not all rosy. Keir Starmer is lukewarm, to say the least, on the idea of devolving policing and criminal justice to Wales, something Mark Drakeford wants to see. 

And I’m old enough to remember that the last time the party was in government at both ends of the M4 there was tension over things like the Welsh Government making hospital parking free and a loss of votes in Senedd elections as New Labour continued in power in Westminster.

So could Welsh Labour benefit from having Prime Minister Starmer in Number 10?

On his visit today, he said that he thinks the “fundamental difference we’ll see,  if there's an incoming Labour government, is a Westminster government working with the Welsh Government on a rules-based basis so that we can coordinate.

“I’ll give you one example of that: we announced an ambitious plan to drive down waiting lists, which obviously has implications for Wales, and the Welsh Government responded to that to say they would use the Consequentials (extra funding) to do the same with their waiting lists. 

“That's the kind of joined-up coordinated response you'd get if you had a Westminster based Labour government working with the Labour government here in Wales. Not the conflict, not the breaking up of the rules, but actually an integrated strategic plan for the future, which I think will be a huge benefit for people in Wales, but across the whole of the United Kingdom as well.”

The next UK Election could still be a year away and much could change. As things stand, the polls suggest that we all could get to see how a Keir Starmer government would work with one in government in Wales. 

I don’t think it would be comfortable for either section of the party. But if it happens it will signal big change on the way in Welsh politics. 

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