Wales’s First Minister has refused to back disability benefit cuts despite accusations of having “welcomed” the so-called reforms.

Eluned Morgan told a Senedd committee she wanted to “reserve my position” until she knew what the impact on Wales would be.

She said she was still waiting for a response from Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall to her request on March 11 for a Wales-specific impact assessment and said she was now seeking a meeting with her, having previously described the delay as “disappointing”.

Plaid Cymru Senedd member Llyr Gruffydd asked her to confirm whether she supported the changes, to which Morgan replied: “I have yet to get a firm understanding of how that will impact on Wales, and until I’m clear about the impacts I want to reserve my position in relation to that.”

Gruffydd said Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens had told BBC Wales on Wednesday the first minister had “welcomed” the reforms – but Morgan declined to address the remark, choosing to sit in silence instead.

She did say that she had written to Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and “personally spoke to Number 10” about the changes heralded by Kendall and Reeves. But she could not name the people who had spoken with her.

Opponents in the Senedd have seized on this to claim that she does not speak loudly enough for Wales.

But this should not be a partisan issue. Morgan appears to be implying that her colleague in the Wales Office spoke out of turn – but without saying as much, thereby denying opponents an opportunity to claim there may be a rift between the Welsh Government and the Westminster government. In the meantime, she has said that she wants an impact assessment and is awaiting it impatiently – so she is standing up for Welsh people who may be affected.

This is particularly important when we remember that Wales is home to the Parliamentary constituency with the largest number of disability benefit claimants – Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney – where they economic impact could be enormous.

Rather than nit-picking for party political gain, leaders of other Welsh parties should be supporting any moves to protect benefit claimants here who may be pushed into poverty.

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