Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth Presses Burnham for Sweeping New Powers in 'New Deal for Wales' Letter

Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has formally requested a significant expansion of devolved powers in a direct appeal to the Prime Minister, setting the stage for a major constitutional confrontation. In a letter sent to Andy Burnham on Thursday and obtained by BBC Wales, the Plaid Cymru leader outlined his vision for what he describes as "a new deal for Wales," calling for a substantial transfer of authority from Westminster to Cardiff.

The timing of the letter is highly symbolic. It was dispatched just days before ap Iorwerth is scheduled to deliver his first party conference speech since assuming office. That address, set for Friday in Llandudno, will mark five months since Plaid Cymru's historic breakthrough at May's Senedd election—a result that brought the party to power for the first time and brought an end to Labour's 27-year unbroken tenure in the Welsh government since devolution began in 1999.

Despite that landmark victory, ap Iorwerth governs without a majority in Cardiff Bay. His administration operates as a minority government, forcing it to negotiate with opposition Members of the Senedd to secure passage of legislation and budgets. That vulnerability was laid bare in July, when the government suffered a defeat on a key vote concerning its spending plans—a setback that underscored the precarious nature of Plaid's grip on power.

In his conference speech, ap Iorwerth is expected to frame the May election as more than a simple change of management. He will argue that the result "delivered a clear mandate from the people of Wales for positive change that makes a tangible difference to their lives." That mandate, he contends, extends beyond domestic policy to the very architecture of Welsh governance.

Central to his argument is the claim that Wales requires the same constitutional and fiscal levers already wielded by Scotland. Ap Iorwerth's statement makes this principle explicit, asserting that "Wales should be able to benefit from the same constitutional and fiscal tools already available in Scotland." He frames this not as a demand for special treatment, but as a necessary correction to an asymmetric devolution settlement that has left Wales comparatively underpowered.

The first minister's letter to Burnham is described as a detailed, roughly 2,000-word document that makes the case for transferring specific responsibilities to Cardiff. Among the powers he seeks are control over policing and justice, authority over rail infrastructure, and devolution of the Crown Estate. Each of these areas currently remains reserved to Westminster, and each carries significant implications for Welsh self-governance.

Beyond individual policy areas, ap Iorwerth is pressing for a fundamental overhaul of how Wales is funded. He calls for "funding arrangements that are fair, needs-based and reflect Wales' demographic and economic realities"—a pointed reference to long-standing grievances that the Barnett formula and related mechanisms shortchange Wales relative to its needs, particularly given its older population and dispersed communities.

The letter also makes a broader constitutional argument. Ap Iorwerth writes that "Wales' constitutional settlement should continue to evolve to improve democratic accountability, boost growth, strengthen public services and deliver better outcomes for our communities." This language positions devolution not as a settled endpoint but as a process—one that should keep pace with Wales' ambitions.

The appeal to Burnham follows a notable intervention from the prime minister himself. Burnham has previously stated that he would "give a fair hearing" to anything put to him by the Welsh first minister. He has also said he is "open" to the idea of giving the Welsh government control over policing, and has emphasized that he must "respect the governments in the nations of the UK." Those remarks, while carefully hedged, have given Plaid Cymru hope that their demands will not be dismissed out of hand.

However, Burnham has also ruled out one key demand that sits at the heart of Plaid Cymru's long-term vision: the power to hold an independence referendum. That refusal was confirmed just six days ago, drawing a firm boundary around how far the prime minister is willing to go. The distinction matters: ap Iorwerth is seeking incremental, functional devolution rather than an immediate route to separation, but the end goal of independence remains embedded in his party's DNA.

Ap Iorwerth's conference speech also follows a significant diplomatic moment for nationalist politics across the UK. Last month, he hosted the nationalist first ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland in Cardiff. Together, the three leaders jointly declared that "Westminster's time is coming to an end"—a rhetorical flourish that signaled a shared determination to reshape the UK's constitutional order from within.

The first minister is expected to meet Burnham alongside the first ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland at the end of the month. That gathering will serve as the first real test of whether ap Iorwerth's "new deal" proposal gains any traction at the highest level of government. For now, the letter stands as both a policy document and a political statement—one that seeks to convert Plaid's electoral breakthrough into durable constitutional change.