‘They don’t speak to us for months’ – Welsh Government minister hits out over lack of communication from UK counterparts

A Welsh Government minister has hit out over a lack of communication from the UK Government during the coronavirus crisis.

During a visit to a vaccination centre in South Wales this morning, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there had been constant dialogue between the two governments over how to exit from the current lockdown.

His comments were raised during this afternoon’s Welsh Government press conference, where Wellbeing Minister Eluned Morgan made conflicting remarks, indicating that talks have been more sporadic.

The MS said ministers would continue to do what’s best for Wales based on transmission rates in the country.

She said: “The relationship with the UK government and the Welsh Government during the pandemic has ebbed and flowed.

“At times, they are happy to engage with us quite intensively and other times they don’t speak to us for months

“In an ideal world, we would like to be coming out of the lockdown together. But at the end of the day, we will do what is right for us in Wales.

“That will depend of course on the rates of infection and how quickly we can roll out the vaccine.”

Figures shared at the press conference show more than 807,000 in Wales have received their first dose of the Covid vaccine, which is the equivalent to almost one in three of the adult population.

Efforts to administer the second dose are also being stepped up.

During the briefing, the minister was also questioned on whether she felt the Prime Minister’s visit to South Wales was an essential one.

She said: “We have a stay at home message and you should not be traveling unless it’s essential.

“I’m not sure if Boris’s visit comes under the essential category but of course he is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and he has to make his own judgment on that.

“As far as I’m concerned, the important thing for us is to focus on really making sure that we do the best for Wales.

“We will continue to have discussions with Boris Johnson but in an ideal world, I think as many people as possible should stay at home.

“And yes, in an ideal world, perhaps that should have happened in this instance.”