Welsh first minister presses Burnham to devolve policing and justice powers

Cardiff demands a distinct devolution settlement

Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has publicly challenged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to recognise that devolution for Wales cannot be modelled on English regional government. The Plaid Cymru leader said his early discussions with Burnham had been constructive but warned that institutions in Westminster may resist transferring further authority to Cardiff.

The immediate demand concerns policing and the justice system. Wales remains the only constituent nation of the United Kingdom without control of those functions. Ap Iorwerth argues that the imbalance is especially difficult to defend when an English metropolitan mayor can exercise more influence over policing than the head of the Welsh government.

A new political balance after the Senedd election

Ap Iorwerth became first minister after Plaid Cymru’s May election victory ended Labour’s century-long record as the largest political force in Welsh national elections. Plaid holds 43 seats in the expanded 96-member Senedd, while Reform UK forms the opposition with 34. That result gives constitutional policy a more central place in relations between Cardiff and London.

The first minister said he would cooperate with Labour when necessary to prevent Reform from taking power. That position creates room for working agreements with Burnham while preserving pressure for institutional change. It also shows that the present dispute is not a rejection of cooperation with the UK government, but a contest over the terms on which cooperation occurs.

Burnham entered Downing Street presenting himself as a leader attentive to the UK’s regions and nations. In his September 1 parliamentary statement, he noted visits across the country and set out a change in national direction. The unresolved question is whether that language will translate into legislation or negotiations over powers currently retained at Westminster.

Justice powers become the practical test

Policing and justice are likely to become the first measurable test of the relationship. Previous reviews have argued that Welsh control could align criminal-justice policy more closely with devolved health, housing and local-government services. Opponents remain concerned about fragmenting legal institutions shared by England and Wales and about the cost of building separate structures.

Ap Iorwerth is due to meet the leaders of Scotland and Northern Ireland in Cardiff, adding a wider constitutional dimension. He describes Welsh independence as an eventual aspiration rather than an immediate timetable. For now, the consequential issue is whether Burnham opens formal negotiations on policing and justice or maintains the existing division of powers.