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First Minister Eluned Morgan raps on podcast as she faces questions on Trump and Farage
@Source: walesonline.co.uk
Wales' First Minister Eluned Morgan has said her party faces political threats from both Reform and Plaid Cymru. In a podcast interview, she has also revealed what she would say if she met US President, Donald Trump.
As part of her appearance on The Political Party with Matt Forde podcast where she was asked her favourite song - picking Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody - and referenced her spell as a DJ at Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno in November She proceeded to sing Catatonia's International Velvet and then rap Rapper's Delight by Sugarhill Gang which she said she could "keep on going with".
On politics, she was asked if Reform or Plaid were her party's biggest threat, she said: "I think we have to take the threat from Reform really seriously, we've got to listen to peoples' concerns in the same way as they sent us a message after Brexit, despite the fact the EU had poured money into some of our poorest communities, they didn't see the connection with their lives. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
"But we've got to listen to people, hear what they're saying and respond. Yes, we're taking Reform seriously, but we're also taking the threat from Plaid really seriously."
On Plaid Cymru, she said: "We're running the country, they've just voted against a budget that would have potentially lost us £4bn that's a really serious thing, I think, because it demonstrates they want to play politics rather than actually deliver for the people in their communities.
"That's concerning". However, she admitted the two parties had "lots in common". As you get closer to an election, all that breaks down, so we'll see what happens. I'm taking both of them seriously," she said.
The First Minister said opinion on Brexit was "definitely shifting" according to tracking she had seen.
Asked about an investment summit being held in Wales in December, she was also asked what she would say to Donald Trump if he visited and said he wanted to build a golf course in Wales. "We're holding the summit in the Celtic Manor which is where they hosted the Ryder Cup, so actually there's a possibility he might come over. I need to think that one through, don't I? Look, I think he's got enough to do to develop his course in Scotland, he should make sure that's sorted out first."
Asked by Matt Forde what she would say if she met him, she replied: "Hello Mr President, why are you being so mean to Canada? Look, I'm going to let Keir Starmer do the international stuff, because that's his job, I'll do the devolution stuff, that's where I'm at. Also, the fact is, we've got about 300 American companies invested in Wales providing pretty good jobs, but I've got to keep them happy.
"I've got a pretty clear opinion about Trump but I think it's really important to make sure we understand the American nation and people, there are a lot of really good people in there, I don't think it makes sense for us to have trade wars, I'm hoping it will all calm down pretty soon," she said.
Asked if Labour faces losing voters to other left-leaning party, she said: "That's possible, but I think everybody recognises the system needs reform, we can't carry on like this and it's not fair to trap people on benefits. What the public, generally, want is, to see a bit more restoration of trust and fairness when it comes to assessments. We've got to be concerned about the people who need that support, but there are taxpayers who are saying they are out all day and are saying 'I'm paying for this' and we have to get this balance right. The welfare state only works if everyone understands there's a time to make a contribution."
She said there is "respect" between her and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Asked about being Wales' first female leader, and why Labour at a UK level has never had a woman in charge, she said: "I don't know, I don't know but we keep doing it.
"We're just going through our selection process now for the next Senedd election, whenever we allow a system where everybody can decide, the women don't come to the top, whereas when we had a mechanism to bring them in, so when the Senedd was first set up we had a mechanism to say 'we're going to have equal numbers' and the women who came in, were brilliant, they changed things, became ministers, and really made a difference, but we know when you don't have a mechanism there's a tendency to go back to 'let's just get the blokes back in'. We just have to keep being vigilant. It helps if you've a model of someone to look at, I just have to not screw up, I suppose."
Asked if she feels the pressure, she said since being elected aged 27, was the first woman to have a baby in public office and only the fifth Welsh woman elected to full-time political office. "These are not things I shouldn't be proud of, because I'm not terribly special, it's just all those really special women before me didn't have a chance.
"The pressure when I was first elected was immense, because I just thought there' a whole load of people here, I had a sense there were people willing me to fail, saying 'this bloody whippersnapper coming in here'. But, I do think I did feel I had to work incredibly hard, I'm in a different position today I've got 30 years experience today."
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