Drakeford's Covid record will rebuild trust in Labour, says Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer visited Wrexham, which Labour lost to the Conservatives at the 2019 Westminster election

Mark Drakeford's "careful" handling of the pandemic will help Labour rebuild trust in key battleground seats, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The UK Labour leader was on the campaign trail in Wrexham - one of four north Wales seats his party lost to the Conservatives at Westminster.

Labour hopes to avoid similar losses in the Senedd election next month.

"It's very important that we rebuild trust, that we reconnect," Sir Keir said.

"Mark Drakeford has actually been doing that in the last 14 months."

Labour holds all of the north east Wales seats at the Senedd with the exception of Clwyd West.

At the 2019 general election four of the area's constituencies, Wrexham, Delyn, Clwyd South and Vale of Clwyd, were won by the Tories.

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In the visit to Wrexham Lager, Sir Keir said: "I think people would look at Mark Drakeford and say he's carefully brought Wales through that."

He said the first minister, who joined him for the visit, had shown "the right way to govern" and his Welsh Government had "earned and deserve the right to continue that work".

"And I think that's the best way to rebuild trust. Judge people by their actions, not by their words."

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Mark Drakeford joined Sir Keir Starmer at the event

Mr Drakeford said Welsh Labour has an "ambitious" and "specific" plan for north Wales.

"Whether that is the new medical school we will have in Bangor that will supply the staff, the doctors we will need for the future here in north Wales, right through to this part of Wales where there will be a new national park - the first one in Wales since 1957," he said.

He denied that Friday's planned Covid Welsh government press conference amounted to electioneering.

He is expected to outline whether pubs will be able to reopen indoors on 17 May, but his intention to do so has angered opposition candidates who believe it is a misuse of an official Welsh government press conference during an election campaign.

"I am the first minister of Wales, that comes with a set of responsibilities, particularly during the pandemic," Mr Drakeford said.

"We have a three week cycle of decision making. We are simply sticking with it. Tomorrow I will as first minister announce the latest outcome of that three week review, and I'll do it as first minister and for no other reason."

But with Covid rates low Mr Drakeford said he was "hopeful that we can do more now... but we will do it in a way that continues to make sure that people in Wales are safeguarded from what is still a global public health crisis".

A Welsh Conservative spokesman accused Labour of "playing politics" with the pandemic.

He added: "Families, workers and businesses deserve better and the Welsh Conservatives will cut the confusion, end the political games, and get Wales on the road to recovery after 6 May."

Plaid Cymru's Sian Gwenllian said: "When Plaid Cymru pressed the case for a medical training school in Bangor, the Labour Welsh government dismissed the idea out of hand. Only Plaid Cymru can be trusted to deliver the best national health and care service in Wales."

The Welsh Government said last year it would consider a business case from Bangor University and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board for a medical school, having previously rejected the idea when it was put forward by Plaid Cymru in 2017.

A Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesman said: "Keir Stammer is naive if he thinks the shadow of Jeremy Corbyn and his ultra-left wing views can be blown away overnight."

The candidates in Wrexham are:

• Paul Ashton, Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party

• Charles William Henry Dodman, Reform UK

• Lesley Griffiths, Labour

• Carrie Harper, Plaid Cymru

• Jeremy Kent, Conservative

• Aaron Norton, Gwlad

• Sebastian Ross, UKIP

• Timothy Sly, Welsh Liberal Democrats

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