Wales Should Receive the Same Devolved Powers as Scotland
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/will-hayward. "The demands of Welsh devolution are simple: just give us what Scotland has | Will Hayward | The Guardian." October 4, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
Wales wants the same powers that Scotland already has—like control over policing, rail, welfare, and more money—and argues this isn't asking for anything special, just fairness. The piece says Labour's new UK leader, Andy Burnham, seems open to this, but he'll need to overcome resistance from within his own party, especially since Welsh Labour is now in political freefall and divided on how much power Wales should get.
Conclusion
Westminster, under Andy Burnham's influence, should grant Wales the same devolved powers that Scotland already has, rather than being blocked by devo-sceptics in UK Labour.
Premises
- Scotland already has control over the crown estate, a more favorable funding settlement via the Barnett formula, devolved heavy rail, devolved policing and justice, and partial control of welfare spending.
- The Welsh government's five demands (policing and justice, rail infrastructure, crown estate control, fiscal fairness, and welfare control) merely ask for parity with powers Scotland already possesses, so they are not unprecedented.
- Wales currently has less borrowing capacity than a local council, and as mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham had more power over policing than Wales's first minister currently does, indicating Wales is under-resourced relative to even sub-national English bodies.
- Burnham has publicly endorsed the principle that decisions should be taken closer to the people they affect, which logically implies support for giving a nation like Wales more autonomy than a mere English region.
- There are credible signs that Burnham may be more sympathetic to Welsh devolution than his predecessor, as evidenced by Plaid Cymru's unusually positive reception of him and his personal assurances to the Welsh first minister.
- Devo-sceptic elements within UK Labour and the civil service pose a real risk of obstructing these demands, as shown by a leaked Starmer memo warning against being 'overly deferential' to devolved governments and complaints from Welsh Labour Senedd members about devolution being rolled back.
- The collapse of Welsh Labour's electoral dominance (from being Wales's largest party since 1922 to just 9 of 96 Senedd seats) creates urgency, since continued inaction or internal division within Labour over devolution could further damage the party and public trust in the Union.
Assumptions
- Scotland's devolution settlement is an appropriate and fair benchmark for what Wales should receive.
- Granting Wales comparable powers to Scotland is logistically and politically feasible within the current UK constitutional framework.
- Burnham has sufficient influence over UK Labour policy to overcome internal devo-sceptic resistance.
- Devolution of these specific powers would meaningfully improve Wales's ability to address its own challenges.
- Public and political consistency (i.e., not treating an English region more favorably than a UK nation) is a valid basis for policy demands.
- Welsh Labour's political decline is causally linked to its ambivalence or inconsistency on devolution, rather than other factors.