Morgan right to push our government - UK minister

It is the first minister's "job" to "push for more" from the UK government, according to a senior member of Keir Starmer's cabinet.

First Minister Eluned Morgan has said Wales should be "at the front of the queue" for further investment from Westminster.

She has also challenged some decisions taken by UK ministers, accusing Welsh Labour MPs of failing to stand up for Wales.

Pat McFadden, minister for inter-governmental relations, insisted Welsh concerns were "high on the agenda" in London.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast he said the "best deal for Wales is a Labour government in the Senedd working with the Labour government at a UK level".

"That's already getting results for Wales and it can get a lot more in the future," he said.

However, in recent weeks questions have been raised about the much-heralded "partnership in power" between the two Labour governments.

In a major speech last week Morgan said she would "not stay silent" if Sir Keir Starmer's UK government took decisions "we think will harm Welsh communities".

She called on UK ministers to halt part of the plan to cut disability benefits and to rethink cuts to the winter fuel allowance.

And she repeated Welsh Labour's calls for for a shakeup of the way Wales is funded by the UK government and the transfer of powers over the Crown Estate to Cardiff.

Securing rail investment for Wales in light of the UK government's spending on HS2 in England is another priority for Morgan.

Asked about the first minister's demands, McFadden said: "When it comes to investment, there's a spending review coming up. Welsh concerns will be there.

"Spending reviews are always competing concerns from around the country.

"It is absolutely right for the first minister to be pushing for more."

"The chancellor of the exchequer, [Rachel Reeves] she gets lots of demands from ministers, first ministers, cabinet ministers for funding, and the art of government is to work through those things in the best way possible."

McFadden was speaking as the UK government announced plans to relocate thousands of civil service jobs from London.

He was not able to say how many of those jobs would go to Cardiff.

BBC Wales political editor Gareth Lewis

Next month's UK government spending review - where and how much funding it allocates over the coming years - is a big deal for Welsh politics, especially with the next Senedd election looming.

On the weekend we learned that the first minister had requested detailed discussions with the prime minister on rail funding, devolution of the crown estate, coal tip safety and other issues.

This morning we had an insight from one of the UK government's "big beasts" into how things might go.

There was a mix of optimism if you are Eluned Morgan - Wales high up the agenda; but also realism - there are plenty of others trying to bend the ear of the chancellor and PM too.

For Eluned Morgan the stakes are high as she tries not only to show that Welsh Labour is subtly different from the UK party, but also tries to secure extra funding and extra powers for the Welsh government.

If she comes away empty-handed or even with not a lot to show, opposition parties will immediately argue that it debunks Labour's claim of a "partnership in power" working better for Wales.