Want to keep up to date on Welsh politics? Sign up and get political news sent straight to your inbox Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Jeremy Corbyn has said he believes the Welsh Government is “doing its best” when it comes to key devolved areas of education and health.

Speaking after his speech at the Welsh Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said that austerity was to blame for funding issues, and that blaming the UK Government was not a "cop out".

In the wake of repeated warnings from unions and teachers about funding cuts impacting on staff, pupils and forcing them to shut schools early and even clean their own toilets , he said he was aware of the issues which had been highlighted in recent weeks, but blamed the financial settlement the UK Government gives Wales.

“The money for education is part of the devolved package and there’s been a huge cut," he said.

Mr Corbyn denied that was an excuse.

“It’s not a cop out at all. It’s the reality. That money is then handed on to local authorities to run the education service. There’s one authority that seems to have had the biggest problem in trying to close schools early, I’d be interested to know why they think that’s necessary because for me, the priority is keeping more children in school five days a week”.

Asked his message to the head teachers affected, he responded: “The same thing happens in my own constituency in England where head teachers tell me how grotesquely underfunded they are.

“The Welsh Government has done its best to try to prevent that happening to education in Wales, but the reality is with this huge cut in expenditure from central Government in the UK there’s going to be a problem.

“The answer is an end to austerity and the answer is a Labour Government for the whole of the UK which will properly fund Wales”.

Welsh polling this week predicted five of his MPs would lose their seats. Mr Corbyn responded: “I don’t comment on opinion polls, ever. Never have.”

“I’m very confident that if and when a General Election comes very soon we’ll be ready for it.

“In 2017 we threw everything at the election campaign and got a strong result, but not strong enough.”

The buzzword around the conference in Llandudno is "clarity" with people saying they want clearer leadership.

(Image: Calum Daly/Welsh Labour)

While Mr Corbyn did mention a second vote in his speech, Mark Drakeford didn't mention a second referendum at all in his, which took place earlier in the day at Venue Cymru.

In his speech, Mr Corbyn said: "Labour has always said we respect the result of the referendum. But we cannot respect the way the Tories have tried to use Brexit to make the lives of working class people harder.

"That’s why we’ve put forward a sensible alternative plan that would ensure a close economic relationship with the EU after Brexit.

" It would abide by the result of the referendum without wrecking our economy.

" Labour will carry on talking to the government to see if we can secure an agreement that achieves that aim.

" If it’s not possible, we believe all options should remain on the table including the option of a public vote."

He said Labour has clearly put out its position.

“We do set those views out on how we would want to see an investment-led economy and a much fairer society and that’s what the heart of what we’re arguing with the Government over with regards to customs union, trade access and a regulatory alignment which means we don’t end up with deregulation at the behest of Trump and the USA but retain a dynamic relationship with Europe.

“Interestingly, the Taoiseach supported us on this and a customs union on which we’d have a say”.

(Image: Calum Daly/Welsh Labour)

Mr Corbyn said he doesn’t believe a second, or people’s vote is any more realistic than before Labour began talks with Theresa May.

Asked it was now more of less likely, he responded: “Probably about the same but it depends what happens in Parliament when we return”.

“It was part of the options that the Labour party conference put last September and we’ve included it in all the discussions and negotiations.

“Clearly, we have already put it in Parliament on a motion put by me and later on by various backbenchers in slightly different terms.

“None of those have yet gone through Parliament.

“But I do think there’s a very strong case for having a referendum to prevent crashing out.”

He said he believed the Welsh Labour Government is doing everything it can in both areas despite criticism about standards and quality.

“I think within the envelope of the funding they get from Westminster, yes. They’ve had a huge cut of roughly £1bn from central Government but Welsh Labour has ensured no prescription charges, no internal market and I think the very advanced cancer centre in Newport is an example of what can be done by an imaginative Government.

“On education, I’m fully supportive of the concept of comprehensive education and community schools and particularly appreciative about pre-school idea in Wales.

“I’m very interested in what Welsh Labour Government is proposing on that and indeed talking to them about the ideas we might be able to adopt for our manifesto”.

Mark Drakeford's conference speech:

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

What Jeremy Corbyn said:

On climate change

"We are facing a climate crisis. There’s no bigger threat to our future a nd fundamentally the destruction of our climate is a class issue.

"It’s working class communities that suffer the worst effects as our environment declines – whether it’s air pollution, flooding or stratospheric food prices while the rich can pay their way out of trouble.

"We need to act. We need nothing less than a Green Industrial Revolution."

On Paul Flynn:

"I want to begin by remembering a Welsh Labour hero, Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West from 1987 until he passed away in February.

" Paul was a pioneer. He didn’t see being an MP as an end in itself. He knew that he could use parliament as a tool for social change."

On Parliamentary chaos:

"Conference, these have been intense weeks, intense months, in politics.

"Let’s be honest, our Westminster political system hasn’t come out of it too well.

"People watch the back and forth in parliament. They see the arcane procedure and hear the alien language. It’s another world.

" For me, that’s not what real politics is about, r eal politics comes from the ground up."

On Theresa May:

"I understand that when it comes to Brexit most people just want politicians to sort this out.

" So when the prime minister announced that she wanted to speak to me to find a Brexit compromise, of course I agreed.

"I didn’t have any advance notice of her invitation, by the way.

"I found out when I heard it on TV, like everyone else.

"It’s scandalous that it came so late in the Brexit process, not at the eleventh hour, not even at five to midnight, but at five past midnight after she missed her own deadline of the 29th of March."