The prime minister has told members of his party that Welsh Labour may have lost sight of some of the principles of devolution before it was thrown out of power in a historic election defeat.

On Saturday morning Andy Burnham addressed the first Welsh Labour conference since May's Senedd election.

He suggested the previous Labour government did not do enough to pass powers down to communities, and said it was "hard" to accept the party was no longer in power after 27 years of running the Welsh government.

He spoke before a review into what went wrong concluded that former First Minister Eluned Morgan's political strategy of calling out Westminster played a role in the party losing power.

The report by Prof Anand Menon, of PF Global, said Morgan's calls for constitutional change like the devolution of policing and the Crown Estate did not get through to voters.

A source close to the former first minister said it was "ludicrous" to suggest that Morgan was focused on constitutional issues.

Meanwhile, Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates has criticised his party for focusing too much on powers for the Senedd.

In a subdued speech, Burnham said he wanted to see "one Labour team" where "everyone" was "signed up and on the same page."

He spoke ahead of the publication of a review of what went wrong at the election.

Since he became prime minister he has been lobbying the Welsh government to devolve more powers to local councils.

"Somewhere along the way perhaps we lost sight of some of the principles that drove devolution in the first place.

"We probably stopped listening as much as we should have, and actually stopped driving power down into every Welsh postcode which is what the vision to me really should always have been about - about people and places."

He said the party would accept its defeat and "come back stronger" with a "vision for a stronger Wales in a fairer United Kingdom."

Burnham said he wanted to achieve the sense of a "one Labour team for Wales" where the party is "pulling in the same direction".

"Where I'm pulling with you and not creating problems for you or going against what Ken or colleagues want to achieve.

"We will put forward a vision for communities up and down Wales, as well as giving Wales a stronger national voice."

Addressing the event at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Burnham said he loved "everything about Wales".

He said his last visit to Wales - to Aberfan - left the "biggest mark" of his visits to the country.

Referencing the fight for justice in the years after the disaster, Burnham said he wanted a "country where all people and all places are treated fairly and with dignity".

He said his vision for the country is a "reindustrialised nation with revitalised high streets".

Burnham said Labour should be "immensely proud" of the things it achieved in Wales - including free school meals, free prescription and the creation of Transport for Wales.

The prime minister said he wanted to show how "being in the UK is good for Wales because of the partnership that we can develop together".

Burnham said he had put the full devolution of employment support on the table with the Welsh government.

It was announced at the Budget that standing charges for gas will come to an end. Burnham confirmed that the charges will be scrapped in the new year.

Menon's criticism of the Red Welsh Way was one of several findings in his review of what went wrong at the May election.

It included that the party suffered a long-term decline in support, laid bare as Labour took flak for dissatisfaction with public services at both UK and Welsh levels.

It said "weaknesses in political communication" also left the party without "clear answers when voters wanted them.

The review says Labour should set itself against Plaid Cymru's "constitutional project", by seeking more powers based on what they would deliver rather than "debating powers in the abstract", prioritising the NHS, the economy and the cost of living.

Morgan sought to differentiate herself from Sir Keir Starmer with a flagship speech in 2025, where she set out her approach called the Red Welsh Way.

Morgan said she was willing to "call out" Westminster Labour, and demanded the devolution of the crown estate to the Senedd.

Menon's report said the strategy "struggled to land on everyday policy, instead tied up in constitutional positioning and the relationship with Westminster".

Naming Morgan, the report said her policy recalled Rhodri Morgan's "clear red water" approach but "was not its equivalent".

"Demands such as transferring the Crown Estate and devolving policing did not speak to voters on the doorstep, who found themselves more concerned with the economy, cost of living and the NHS."

The Labour campaign shifted from Red Welsh Way to "power in partnership" - attempting to send signals about the relationship with UK Labour in government. The report said that "still did not provide clear policy objectives".

Labour has shared most of Plaid's constitutional demands, including the devolution of policing, the Crown Estate and rail devolution, with the exception of independence.

Plaid beat Welsh Labour in the May election, and is now running the Welsh government.

Menon's report said the result was "not necessarily" about Welsh identity, saying that "has been flat for a decade".

But, it added: "Welsh Labour voters who switch to Plaid do score more strongly on their Welsh identity than those who stayed."

It said voters "tend to judge whether a party stands up for Wales mainly on delivery: The NHS, the cost of living and the economy."

A source close to Morgan said it was "ludicrous" to suggest she was focused on constitutional issues, adding that she had concentrated on the NHS and bringing quality jobs to Wales.

The source claimed Welsh Labour had run a "terrible campaign" which was "lacklustre", and said the biggest issue was the unpopularity of Sir Keir.

On Morgan's resignation as Welsh Labour leader, which came within minutes of her failure to retain her seat in the Senedd, the source accused the Welsh party of trying to "control" her, even "down to the words of her resignation speech".

Former First Minister Mark Drakeford said of the suggestion that calls for more devolution to the Senedd did not cut through to voters: "It was less it seemed to me that it didn't cut through to voters, that it hadn't cut through to our colleagues in Westminster."

"We needed evidence from our colleagues in London that that was still the case and unfortunately that evidence just wasn't there in a way that allowed us to convince the Welsh population of that."

The review said that NHS and access to healthcare were the biggest concern for 79% of voters who left Labour for Plaid and 80% who left Labour for Reform.

The report said only 8% of Labour to Plaid switchers named devolution or independence as a top issue.

However, 49% wanted a stronger Senedd, while 26% wanted independence.

It said 73% of adults preferred more power for regions, councils and local areas to more power for the Senedd.

PF Global polled 1,387 adults from August to September 2026.