Plaid Cymru has called for Wales to be given parity with Scotland on devolved powers.
Rhun ap Iorwerth warned Wales remains the “poor relation” among devolved nations in policy areas ranging from rail, justice and tax to welfare benefits and the Crown estate.
He said: “Our democratic rights as parliamentarians in Wales can’t be considered to be inferior when compared to legislators in other devolved legislatures. But that is the position that we currently find ourselves in.”
Leading a debate, Mr ap Iorwerth warned billions of pounds-worth of investment is being withheld because of a lack of powers over rail infrastructure.
The Plaid Cymru leader criticised Eluned Morgan for “batting away” questions deemed to be beyond the powers of the Senedd “week after week” at first minister’s questions.
He said: “Let me decode what she is saying: ‘I’d rather not cause a problem for Keir Starmer than try to do what’s right by the people of Wales.’ It’s weak, it’s weak, it’s weak.”
Mr ap Iorwerth accused Labour of talking the talk on pushing the boundaries of devolution but “remaining resolutely passive when it comes to actually agitating for change”.
He told the Senedd: “If the union is to prove its worth … then at the very least, surely, Wales deserves parity of status with Scotland.
“And regardless of our differences on the ultimate constitutional journey for Wales … it is inconceivable that any party purporting to represent the interests of our nation should not support this very basic principle.”
He added: “The real danger is that any snail-paced incremental change – Labour’s general state of constitutional being – is watered down even further to satisfy party orders.
The Conservatives’ Paul Davies called for a focus on making better use of the powers already devolved rather than ‘tinkering’ and ‘pushing for more’.
In the final Senedd vote of 2024, members rejected the Plaid Cymru motion, 37-12, before a version as amended by the Welsh Government was agreed 26-12 with 11 abstaining.