Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar has accused the First Minister of prioritizing a push for Welsh independence over addressing critical public service issues. Millar stated that the Welsh government must instead focus on improving public services and defending the relationship between the four nations of the United Kingdom, asserting that his party "will never allow" the union to be dissolved.
In remarks obtained by BBC Wales, Millar argued that any attempt to create a separation between Wales and the rest of the UK would be detrimental. He pointed to rising National Health Service waiting lists and ongoing struggles for Welsh businesses as evidence of the government's failures. Millar criticized the First Minister for aligning with the Scottish National Party and Sinn Féin, referencing a recent meeting in Cardiff.
"He then signed a pact to promote the break-up of our United Kingdom," Millar stated, adding that the meeting was exploited by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who publicly commented on the prospect of independence referendums across the UK. Millar's message to the First Minister was to "get on with the day job."
Millar also accused the First Minister of misleading voters during the May elections, claiming that while independence was not presented as a key issue, the subsequent actions suggested otherwise. He likened the approach to deception, comparing the First Minister to the "Pied Piper of Hamelin."
Reflecting on the broader context of the United Kingdom, Millar described it as more than a political arrangement. He highlighted its historical contributions to industry, the abolition of the slave trade, European liberation, and the shaping of the modern world. "We are a shared family of nations," he asserted, emphasizing centuries of shared life, work, and trade among the people of Wales, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Millar concluded by stating that this shared legacy is something to be proud of and should inspire future generations, contrasting this view with what he described as a tendency on the left to apologize for or be embarrassed by history.