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Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham wants 'more autonomous' Wales Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham wants 'more autonomous' Wales
(35 minutes later)
Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham has said he wants to see a "more autonomous" Wales within a stronger UK. Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham has said the party must not look "grudging" on devolution.
Mr Burnham said Labour needs to look at the right balance between the UK role and a stronger Welsh role. Mr Burnham told BBC Radio Wales said he has asked the first minister to lead a "constitutional convention" looking at the relationship between the UK Labour party and Welsh Labour.
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, he praised the Welsh government for doing a "terrific job" and said lessons could be learned from Labour in Wales. But he rejected the idea of a more federal structure.
And he called for the UK party to "get on the front foot" of devolution. He said it would be wrong for the party to have different "messages" in different parts of the country.
Earlier this month, the Welsh government Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews renewed his calls for Labour to move to a federal structure that would give more autonomy to the Welsh and Scottish Labour parties.
He tweeted: "I really don't care who English Labour choose #federallabournow."
Mr Burnham said: "I think it would be a mistake to start saying 'oh we speak to this group of votes over here with this message and a different message over here'.
"In Wales, I think I saw similar factors that were in play in England [at the general election].
"People [were] going to UKIP because perhaps they had doubts about our record on immigration and leaving Labour for that reason."
'Stronger role'
On the UK party's relationship with Welsh Labour, Mr Burnham said the Labour party needed to get the right relationship between the two.
"That's why I've asked Carwyn Jones to lead a UK constitutional convention to really look at these questions in detail," he said.
"What is the right balance across the UK between the UK role and then a stronger Welsh role?
"I want to see a more autonomous Wales within a stronger UK.
"I want... Labour not always looking grudging on devolution and being dragged to positions.
"I think we now need to get on the front foot and I hope Carwyn's going to help us do that."
Mr Burnham has been backed by at least 11 Welsh MPs.Mr Burnham has been backed by at least 11 Welsh MPs.