We asked Liz Truss why she has not called Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford since she became Prime Minister and the answer suggests she has little intention of doing so any time soon, if at all. Ms Truss has now been in office for over a month and has shown no interest in contacting the leaders of Wales or Scotland, as we revealed last month. The Welsh Government have repeatedly said that the PM has not been in touch with Mr Drakeford despite the First Minister publicly expressing a desire for them to communicate directly.
The decision by Ms Truss to make no direct contact with Mr Drakeford bucks a trend going back to the start of devolution. Every new Prime Minister has, on the day of taking office, called their counterparts in Wales and Scotland. Ms Truss, however, has not. It's understood even King Charles managed to ring the devolved leaders within 24 hours of his mother dying.
Read more: 'Liz Truss must be a sleeper agent for YesCymru - it's the only explanation'
WalesOnline approached 10 Downing Street to ask the following questions:
- Why has the Prime Minister bucked custom and not contacted the First Minister after taking office?
- Are there plans for a call between the Prime Minister and First Minister?
- Does the Prime Minister not feel that there are important things for the Prime Minister and First Minister to discuss and that these exchanges would have real value for the governance of both Wales and the wider UK?
A UK Government spokeswoman promptly responded to these questions, with the answers suggesting Ms Truss has no intention of contacting the First Minister directly. The spokeswoman also said that other UK Government ministers would be communicating with the devolved nations (though said nothing about speaking to their leaders).
The spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister has been clear on her ambition to attract investment into Wales, and to work closely with the First Minister to drive economic growth. UK Government ministers, including the minister for Intergovernmental relations, along with officials, will continue to engage regularly with their devolved counterparts.”
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