Senedd row over £14bn rail plan as opposition parties call it a pre-election stunt
The First Minister has defended the Welsh Government’s £14 billion rail investment plan after the Plaid Cymru leader warned the funding stream was not secured and accused ministers of “electioneering”.
Eluned Morgan told the Senedd the UK Labour Government had committed to the investment “if we’re in power” and said the plan had been developed over two years with Transport for Wales and endorsed by the UK transport department and Treasury, “What that announcement was was £14 billion and the UK Labour Government saying, ‘Yes, if we’re in power, we will commit to this’. And it’s an absolute shame that not one opposition party has welcomed this massive commitment that the UK Labour Government has made after years of underfunding by previous Tory UK Governments. This announcement recognises that Wales has been short-changed and makes up for that fact. We know that we didn’t get proportionate funding from HS2, but this makes up for that. And I think you have to learn how the system works if you aspire to run the system”.
Plaid Cymru’s Member Llyr Gruffydd questioned whether the £14 billion figure was genuine, saying it was “a long-term headline figure” without a secured funding stream or clear allocation in any current or existing budget, “It is a familiar tactic straight out of the Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak playbook, because they promised electrification of the north Wales line. They promised that, and large numbers were trailed around, weren’t they, for political effect, but there was no identified budget, there was no delivery schedule, and there was no ring-fenced commitment. And do you know what? It’s exactly the same for this £14 billion.”
‘If Labour remains in power’
Ms Morgan said the programme had been worked up over two years and the UK Government would not have signed off on it without Transport for Wales developing a detailed plan.
“We’re not irresponsible as a Government. We wouldn’t have put ourselves in that situation without being absolutely clear,” she said.
She said no long-term project was guaranteed, citing HS2 as an example, adding: “What we’re saying is that if Labour remains in power, that commitment is absolutely there.”
Ms Morgan said the commitment had been signed off by both the Department for Transport and the Treasury.
North Wales investment
Conservative Natasha Asghar said while she and Welsh Conservative colleagues welcomed the additional funding, the announcement was “nothing more than a pre-election stunt”.
“The Prime Minister dragged himself to Wales to announce £445 million for seven new stations, but that’s old news, because this was announced last summer,” Ms Asghar said.
“First Minister, this feels, for me, like nothing more than a case of reheating old commitments and making empty promises as part of a desperate publicity stunt in a last-ditch attempt to drum up some support for a failing Labour Government. Let’s be honest, that was the case, wasn’t it?”
Ms Morgan said a document had been issued demonstrating where the £14 billion would be spent across Wales, which was “a commitment that your previous Tory Government wouldn’t make”, adding a pop at Plaid Cymru as well, “We learnt from Plaid this weekend that you love plans. You love a plan for a plan. It’s a stunning proposal after you’ve had 27 years to develop your ideas. ”
Blaenau Gwent MS Alun Davies, who said he welcomed the announcement, asked whether it demonstrated “an argument for the devolution of rail infrastructure”.
“When the Welsh Government is in control, we can make the investments,” Mr Davies said.
He asked the First Minister to work with Blaenau Gwent council to ensure the Abertillery spur and Ebbw valley line received the same level of investment as the Rhymney line.
Ms Morgan said she had checked the ‘Today, Tomorrow, Together’ document to confirm the Abertillery spur commitment was included.
“If you’re serious about building an economy, you have to do long-term commitments; you can’t change rail funding halfway along,” she said.
Questions on detail
North Wales Conservative Gareth Davies said communities across north Wales felt “increasingly forgotten” when it came to transport investment.
“We’ve not seen any major investment in road infrastructure in the Vale of Clwyd since the mid 1990s, and that was pre devolution, the last time we had a Conservative Government in charge of Wales,” Mr Davies said.
He said Wales had lost out on an estimated £4 billion in consequential funding because HS2 was classified as an England and Wales project, and questioned what steps the Welsh Government was taking to secure fair funding for north Wales.
Ms Morgan said the May timetable change in north Wales would see a 50 per cent increase in services on the north Wales main line, including a new hourly service between Llandudno and Liverpool.
Labour’s Carolyn Thomas, who recently spoke at a Deeside business forum transport seminar, said the excitement was “palpable” about delivery of a new station and crossing improvements for increased services.
“These were parts of bids twice refused by the UK Conservative Government under levelling-up funding. It’s happening now,” Ms Thomas said.
She said it had taken a change of UK Government to get rail investment “over the line”.
Newport Labour MS John Griffiths said the £14 billion commitment would help achieve an integrated transport system, with new stations at Somerton, Llanwern and Magor and Undy helping to tackle congestion on the M4.
Check live fuel prices near you before you set off.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
NEW: Add Deeside.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Latest News
