Starmer migration plan will damage Wales, FM fears

Wales' first minister says she is worried Sir Keir Starmer's migration plans will damage the country.

Speaking to a BBC podcast, Eluned Morgan said she was concerned about "both" the prime minister's policy and the language he used to announce it.

Morgan criticised Sir Keir ahead of a meeting with him in London on Friday, telling Political Thinking with Nick Robinson she had a "list" of issues with the UK government.

The Welsh Labour leader also called for winter fuel payments for all but the richest of pensioners, and said she would "stick" to the left of UK Labour as the party fights to stay in power in Wales.

The Welsh Conservatives said Morgan was "fabricating rows" with Labour in Westminster while Plaid Cymru accused her of waging a "phoney air war".

Morgan has become more publicly critical of the UK Labour government in recent weeks, making complaints over devolution, benefits cuts and other issues.

In an ITV Wales interview on Thursday evening she called for Sir Keir to "start coughing up" for Wales.

The strategy comes as Welsh Labour prepares for the next Senedd election in May 2026, with recent opinion polls suggesting the party has a fight on its hands.

Labour has been the largest party in the Senedd at every election since devolution began in 1999, leading every Welsh government that has been formed.

It has also been the biggest party in Wales in every Westminster election since 1922.

Sir Keir has said the UK risked becoming an "island of strangers" without stricter controls on migration.

He plans to ban recruitment of care workers from overseas and tighten access to skilled worker visas.

Morgan has previously said proposals from Sir Keir could pose "challenges" for social care services if they could no longer recruit overseas workers.

Asked if she was worried about the prime minister's language and whether his policy would be made in a way that will "damage Wales", Morgan told the podcast: "I think both, actually. I don't think I'd use that language.

"I'm very keen on making sure that people feel comfortable in a cohesive community and that they feel welcome."

Downing Street has previously said Sir Keir stands by his words and "the argument he was making was that migrants make a massive contribution to our country, but migration needs to be controlled".

Morgan added: "I think it probably is worth emphasising that in Wales about 7% of the population are immigrants, which is much, much smaller than other parts of the country."

But she said "more or less" 50% of doctors and dentists in west Wales "are people who've been trained abroad".

She added: "The care services are something I'm particularly concerned about.

"Even things like getting people to work in pubs and things in the summer in our tourism sector, it's a challenge."

Asked if it was something she would raise with Sir Keir, she added: "I've got a list. He knows my list, OK":[]}