Wales Office should be scrapped, says Deputy First Minister
Williams made the remarks during an interview on The National Podcast at the SNP conference in Aberdeen on Thursday.
Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams has called for the abolition of the Wales Office, arguing it does “more harm than good” and merely reinforces Westminster’s position.
Williams made the remarks during an interview on The National Podcast at the SNP conference in Aberdeen on Thursday.
She said devolution has given Wales a level of political maturity that renders the office redundant.
Williams added that the Wales Office often acts as a conduit for Westminster’s perspective rather than challenging it on behalf of the Senedd.
She argued the role provides a voice that is not aligned with the will of the Welsh Government or the Senedd across successive administrations.
First Minister Mark Drakeford has echoed Williams’s call, indicating the criticism is not confined to a single party.
The comments followed a motion at the SNP conference urging the abolition of the Scotland Office, which was backed by a majority of delegates.
The Wales Office was created in 1999 to represent Welsh interests in Westminster after the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales.
It is headed by a Secretary of State for Wales, appointed by the Prime Minister, and operates with a multi‑million‑pound budget funded from the UK Treasury.
Critics contend that the office duplicates work already performed by the Welsh Government and the Senedd, adding an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
Supporters maintain that a ministerial presence in Westminster offers a direct channel for Welsh concerns to be raised at the highest level of UK decision‑making.
The Welsh Government has previously called for reforms to the office’s remit but has stopped short of demanding its complete removal.
Williams reiterated that the office “does more harm than good” and that Wales can manage its own affairs without a Westminster‑based ministerial post.
The SNP motion to scrap the Scotland Office has intensified debate about the future of similar bodies in the other devolved nations.
As of now, the UK Government has not issued an official response to Williams’s demand for the Wales Office’s abolition.
The issue is expected to feature in forthcoming discussions on the devolution settlement and the broader architecture of UK governance.