Rhun ap Iorwerth, the first minister of Wales, has called on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to recognize Wales as a nation rather than a region of England and to take devolution—transferring powers from the central UK government to local authorities—more seriously. Ap Iorwerth, who took office in May after leading Plaid Cymru to victory in Wales’s Senedd elections, highlighted that Wales is the only UK nation without control over policing and the justice system. He noted that Starmer, as the mayor of Greater Manchester, had previously supported devolution and had engaged in constructive discussions with him. However, ap Iorwerth expressed concern that the UK government might be influenced by a general reluctance in Westminster to grant more powers to devolved administrations. Ap Iorwerth stated that his party, Plaid Cymru, would be open to working with the Labour Party to prevent Reform UK, a new political party led by Nigel Farage, from gaining power. He criticized Reform UK’s "destructive politics" and noted that the party had made a significant impact in the May elections, growing from two members to 34. Ap Iorwerth emphasized that his government is committed to its values and does not intend to adopt the often bleak tone of Keir Starmer’s leadership style. Ap Iorwerth acknowledged that Starmer had assured him he would not bypass devolution but warned that there could be resistance within the UK government to handing over control of policing and justice. He cited strong arguments for devolving these powers, supported by multiple studies and commissions. He also pointed out that Starmer, as mayor of Manchester, had more influence over policing than he currently has as first minister of Wales. Ap Iorwerth described Wales’s financial situation as "very challenging," with real-terms cuts to both daily operations and long-term capital spending. He is set to meet with leaders from Scotland and Northern Ireland—John Swinney of the Scottish National Party and Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Féin—in Cardiff. While a Telegraph columnist called this meeting a "sinister cabal ... plotting nothing less than the end of the United Kingdom," ap Iorwerth dismissed the claim, stating that his goal is to strengthen Wales rather than break up the UK. He described Wales as being on a "constitutional journey," with the ultimate goal being independence, though without a set timeline or rush.