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

The Wales Office has had a rebrand with the seal featuring the Welsh dragon vanishing.

The department now styles itself on social media as “UK Government Wales”.

Here is the old branding:

And here is the new look:

The dragon has been removed along with the Welsh motto “Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn” (approximately, “the red dragon inspires action”).

The new branding features the traditional Royal Coat of Arms, which includes a lion and a unicorn.

The new branding on display in the Wales Office

The Wales Office insists that the official name of the department is not being dropped but the changes are being made to help people understand “which government is responsible for what”.

'Bizarre' change

Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards said: “It is slightly bizarre that the Secretary of State for Wales has the time to rebrand his office in the middle of such uncertainty around Wales’ future. Getting Brexit right for Wales is one of the most pivotal tasks our country has faced and it’s happening right at the time that the Wales Office is meant to be delivering a new devolution settlement for Wales – something which will form the foundation for future Welsh health, education and economic policy.

“That the Secretary of State is occupying his time with an office rebrand rather than focusing on these crucial issues is concerning... The Wales Office has proven to be Westminster’s voice in Wales, and certainly not Wales’ voice in Westminster.”

'Unified UK'

Stressing the goal was to improve clarity, he said: “The Wales Office title remains and the point is to make it clear that we are the UK Government in Wales.

"The reason for the change in branding is that in Wales too many people still don’t know precisely which government is responsible for what, and can be confused when receiving communications from a number of different departments... so we believe it is important that we demonstrate a unified UK Government voice so people are aware of what services that the UK Government provides in Wales, and what it is accountable for.”

poll loading What do you make of the new Wales Office branding? 0+ VOTES SO FAR It's not 'Welsh' enough for a department that should champion the nation in Whitehall It's a good move which means there is less chance of confusion with the Welsh Government

However, Labour Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens was unimpressed that the dragon had been “killed”.

She told the BBC: “When Brexit presents Wales with its biggest challenge since the Second World War, it’s pretty unbelievable that Alun Cairns is wasting time and taxpayers money trying and failing to make his stationery look nicer.

“The minister can’t give a straight answer on whether businesses in Wales will get a decent deal from Brexit, and astonishingly he’s now killed the Wales office dragon from the logo – the public will be absolutely baffled by his behaviour and rightly wonder if his priorities lie with Wales at all.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Mark Williams said: “It seems a strange decision to go through a rebrand which removes the iconic Welsh dragon at a time when Wales’ voice needs to be stronger than ever inside the UK Government as we head towards Brexit.”

A 'zombie' department

Former Shadow Welsh Secretary Paul Flynn said the Wales Office was a “zombie” department which had outlived its purpose.

He said: “It’s lost its function and it exists mainly now to give the Conservatives a voice... A voice that democracy has never given them in Wales.”

The Newport West MP continued: “We ought to give it a decent burial and I’d be happy to go along and deliver a eulogy to it and fill the hole up with a large slab to make sure that resurrection isn’t possible...

“Institutions do continue, you know, beyond their lifetime’s span.”