Starmer warned cabinet against ‘overly deferential’ relations with devolved governments

Leak of memo comes after a third of Labour Senedd members raise alarm devolution is being rolled back

• UK politics live – latest updates

Keir Starmer warned his cabinet against an “overly deferential” approach to the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish governments, according to a leaked memo.

In the document from December, obtained and published on Tuesday by Plaid Cymru, Starmer said ministers should be prepared to make spending decisions “even when devolved governments may oppose this”. It came shortly after Labour Senedd members wrote to the prime minister over concerns his administration was rolling back devolution powers.