Keir Starmer warns 'backroom stitch-up' could see Nigel Farage win Wales despite ex-Labour FM plotting anti-Reform pact

He said: "Next year it's a clear choice, two Labour Governments working together for the people of Wales, continuing on the course of change that we've set, with almost £5billion extra for Wales, money for employment, support and training - to break down the barriers to opportunity - money for neighbourhoods - driving growth and restoring pride in your community - more money for the NHS, for infrastructure, more money for Wales.

"Or there's the other option. The risk of rolling back all the progress we're making. A return to the chaos and division of the last decade. A backroom stitch-up between the Tories, Reform and Plaid. And once again it will then be working families left to pick up the bill, whether that's with Reform or with Plaid's determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country."

Despite Starmer warning about a Cardiff Bay, Labour has held power in the Welsh Parliament by being propped up by both the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru in recent years.

A co-operation agreement between then-First Minister Mark Drakeford and then-Plaid leader Adam Price was also signed in 2021, with the deal only collapsing following a donor row last year.

And some senior figures in Welsh Labour have already publicly spoken out about creating a progressive pact to halt Reform's march to power.

Ex-First Minister Mark Drakeford urged Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats to come together to halt Reform UK ending Labour's century-long stranglehold on Wales.

Responding to the Prime Minister's attack, a Reform UK source in Wales told GB News: "Desperation. People can see right through it.

"Labour Ministers have openly talked about forming their own coalition of chaos just to stop Reform UK from delivering the real change Wales needs.

"After 26 years of Labour’s decline, our communities are worse off, our services are failing, and families are paying the price.

"Wales doesn’t need more tired slogans or backroom deals. It needs bold, common-sense Reform to put working people first again."

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has already ruled out working with Reform UK in Cardiff Bay after the 2026 Welsh Parliament Election.

However, Kemi Badenoch and Welsh Tory leader Darren Millar refused to rule out working with either Plaid Cymru or Reform UK next year.

Badenoch last month admitted that it was a "reality" that post-election talks may need to happen but said the conversation was a "distraction".

"I will work with anybody to get rid of this dreadful Welsh Labour Government," Millar added.

Despite positioning itself in many ways as the antithesis of Toryism, Plaid Cymru had briefly flirted with entering into an agreement with the Welsh Conservatives in 2007.

However, negotiations eventually fell through, with Labour First Minister Rhodri Morgan clutching on to power with Ieuan Wyn Jones's support dubbed the "One Wales" agreement just a week later.

Opinion polls suggest Wales remains split ahead of next year's Welsh Parliament Election - with Find Out Now handing Reform UK a two-point lead, YouGov giving Plaid Cymru a five-point advantage and Survation suggesting Labour's maintaining a margin of error edge of just three per cent.

However, the Prime Minister did not shy away from taking aim at Farage during his appearance in Llandudno today.

Starmer told Welsh Labour delegates: “Nigel Farage isn’t interested in Wales, he’s interested in Nigel Farage.

"And he takes people for fools. Just look what he said earlier this month.

"Going to Port Talbot pretending he’s got a plan to reopen a blast furnace when he’s got no idea what he’s talking about and he’s got no plan at all.”

In another attack, the Prime Minister said: “While we’re planning the future, there are those who are firmly stuck in the past.

"Take Farage. When you ask him about Clacton, he thinks it’s running in the 2:10 at Ascot. A wolf in Wall Street clothing.”

However, Farage responded to Starmer's fury with a jibe about the Prime Minister's U-turn on his controversial "island of strangers" remark.

“It’s the usual tirade of insults and jokes, none of which are his own," the Reform UK leader said. "I wonder did he read the speech beforehand?"

Farage has already earmarked Wales as his electoral "priority" in 2026, telling ITV last month: "What we have do in Wales is to say to people, if you really, really want change, you've got to vote for that change, and it's up to us to articulate clearly what that vision is."