THE first day of Welsh Labour’s spring conference today saw both first minister Carwyn Jones and Jeremy Corbyn set out their visions for the future of the UK.

The two leaders spoke at the event at Llandudno’s Venue Cymru, with Mr Jones making a number of new commitments including scrapping burial fees for children, introducing wi-fi on trains and train stations, investing an extra £20 million into social care and trialling free weekend travel on some long-distance buses.

In his speech, which received an enthusiastic welcome from supporters, Mr Jones looked back at what Labour had achieved in Wales in the past, before making a number of commitments for the future.

“We’ve got some work to do,” he said.

“Look at the challenges ahead of us just in the coming three years.

“By 2020 we will have experienced a decade of Tory austerity.

“An ageing population.

“An American President who is more offended by sketches on Saturday Night Live than the division which still cripples his country.”

He said these, along with the impending Brexit, would dominate the government’s agenda for the foreseeable future.

“These are the battles ahead, and so why isn’t the Labour Party taking them on more effectively?” he said.

“We must do better.”

Saying “Let’s never forget that this is the party of the working people”, Mr Jones said: “For me, being in government is about changing people's lives for the better.

“By making the services that individuals, families and businesses rely on stronger and more reliable.

“Power for a purpose.”

On Brexit, he said it was time to move on from debates around the decision to leave the European Union to focus on getting the best deal for Wales.

“We must respect the will of the people,” he said.

“The task for us now, is to make a success of that process.

“That has been the mission of our government in recent months.”

Mr Jones wrapped up his speech by pledging to create “A fair deal for the people of Wales”.

“They deserve nothing less than that,” he said.

He added: “We are the party of working people and the best hope for Britain.

Our people are under pressure. They need this party now more than ever before.

“Now is the time to keep on delivering, to keep on working and show that this party is the party of Wales.”

In his speech, which received a warm welcome, Mr Corbyn praised Mr Jones and his party colleagues for “continuing to show the difference that Labour can make in government”.

“There is so much to be proud of in Labour Wales,” he said.

“Even constrained by cuts in your block grant, what Labour has achieved in Wales stands as a beacon, a beacon that shines a light on the Tories’ abject failure socially, economically and morally.”

Slamming the UK Government’s “never-ending cuts agenda”, Mr Corbyn also praised investments by the Welsh Government into the NHS, social care and other areas, while also applauding the presumed consent organ donation scheme, saying “lives are being saved as a result”.

Saying “People are being held back today, despite your best efforts here in Wales”, the Labour leader called on the UK Government to “stop dithering and act now to invest in all our futures”.

“The Labour Party has been most successful when we have been at our most united,” he said.

“Whatever our differences we all know that what unites us is so much more and so much stronger.”

He added: “Whether it’s at the town hall, in Cardiff Bay, or at Westminster, Labour being in power means having someone who is standing up for you.

“United we stand, divided we fall.

And united I believe this great party can do great things, together.”

Other issues covered in a packed agenda included education, with Blaenau Gwent AM and Wales’ lifelong learning minister Alun Davies talking about the work the Welsh Government is doing to improve the sector in Wales, Brexit and the City Deals.

Newport City Council leader Cllr Debbie Wilcox also spoke during a discussion of the way forward for local government, in which she paid tribute to her predecessor Cllr Bob Bright, who stepped down last year, calling him “a hard act to follow”.

Calling on party members to do more to encourage women to get into senior leadership roles, Cllr Wilcox said: “There’s one label I’d like to lose.

“That’s the one of being the only Labour woman leader.”

Cllr Wilcox also pointed out the regeneration which carried out in Newport since Labour took over control of the city council in 2012, singling out Friars Walk, which she said had “changed the face of Newport”.

Former leader of Torfaen County Borough Council Cllr Bob Wellington also spoke at the conference in his capacity as outgoing leader of the Welsh Local Government Association, during which he slammed the Conservative UK Government, which he said was “anti-state spending and pro-business.”

“Large parts of our public services hang by a thread,” he said.

Cllr Wellington also called for more to be done to protect vulnerable people, saying: “What we really need is a mature, adult debate on how we fund health and social care.”

He ended his speech by calling on party members to “up our game”.

The second day of the conference tomorrow will include speeches from shadow Welsh secretary Christina Rees and public health minister Rebecca Evans, as well as a discussion of gender equality.