Andy Burnham has no intention of reforming the main way the Welsh government is funded if he becomes prime minister, BBC Wales has been told — dashing Plaid Cymru's hopes before he has even entered Downing Street.
The new Labour MP is expected to make a speech about devolution and the economy next week, with a spokesperson saying he would put Wales and Scotland "at the centre" of any government he runs. But when pressed on the Barnett formula, which critics argue underfunds Wales, the message was clear: no change.
“Andy Burnham rules out reforming Wales' funding system, angering Plaid Cymru before he becomes PM.”
Plaid Cymru First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth reacted sharply. "This is not a great start even before he starts in the job," he said. "It does not give me an awful lot of confidence in seeing something that is rather important to Wales being somehow cast aside before Andy Burnham even gets the chance to become prime minister."
Burnham's comments in a book two years ago — in which he said it was time to "tear up" current funding arrangements — resurfaced this week in The National newspaper, raising expectations that a Burnham premiership would deliver reform. On Wednesday, Plaid had vowed to "hold" Burnham to those words. But those hopes now appear hollow.
Under the Barnett formula, additional UK government funding for Wales is calculated based mainly on share of population. Critics have long argued it underfunds Wales, despite Wales receiving more funding per head than England, because the Welsh population is relatively older and more infirm. Even Welsh Labour has backed reform: less than a year ago its conference passed a motion calling for overhaul — a call rejected two months later by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Ap Iorwerth repeated his calls for more powers over borrowing, taxation, rail, policing, justice and the Crown Estate. He said he and Burnham have yet to speak, but that it would need to happen "very soon" if Burnham takes over in Downing Street.
Meanwhile, former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have spoken about the future of energy production in the North Sea, with one opinion writer arguing that prime minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham should pay attention.