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The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Caught between the Senedd and Westminster, Welsh Labour risks collapsing loyalty
Playing Tom Jones and Catatonia at the decks and later taking to the dancefloor wrapped in a Welsh flag, Eluned Morgan, at least, was having a good time at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno last month. But almost a year into the job as first minister of the Labour government in the Senedd, working alongside a Labour administration in Westminster, the party arguably does not have much to make a song and dance about. For 100 years, the Welsh have been Labour's most loyal voters, and they have returned the party to government in Cardiff since devolution almost 27 years ago. But poll after poll now says Labour's base has collapsed and the party will come third in the Senedd elections next May, after Plaid Cymru and Reform UK. In Westminster, the worry is the Welsh elections will prove a bellwether for the next general election in 2029. The parliamentary Labour party has not learned from the 'death of Scottish Labour' in the 2007 Holyrood elections in which the Scottish National party emerged as the largest party, according to Labour and Co-operative Senedd member Lee Waters. The MS for Llanelli is standing down next year, along with more than a third of the Senedd's 30 Labour members so far. 'The indifference to the reasonable claims of a devolved government, the control of the party machinery by London HQ, and the disdain of Westminster MPs towards their devolved counterparts were features then and now,' he wrote on his blog. Morgan has a tightrope to walk. Speaking to the Guardian at the party conference, she said there was no contradiction between the conference's message that Cardiff Bay and Westminster were working together as a 'partnership in power' and the more leftwing 'red Welsh way' she set out a few weeks earlier in a speech that criticised Keir Starmer. 'Some of the things introduced by the UK government have not necessarily been in keeping with the red Welsh way,' she said, referring to the prime minister's U-turns over the winter fuel tax and disability benefit reforms. 'We had the same situation in the Blair years and it's what devolution is about: you do what's appropriate for your particular local circumstances, but it doesn't mean if you're in the Labour family that you fall out altogether. It means you can have a distinct approach to certain things.' Yet the prime minister's conference address suggested Westminster did not fully appreciate the threats Welsh Labour is facing. The former Conservative cabinet minister and former MP for Clwyd West David Jones announced on Monday he had joined Reform, becoming the most senior ex-Tory to join the party so far, although he said he had no intention of standing for election. Under the new more proportional system voting system coming in next year, Reform could pick up the largest number of seats in the Senedd, as its support is more evenly distributed than other parties' – but it is unlikely to be able to form a majority government. Yet Starmer used his keynote speech to attack Nigel Farage, even though comprehensive analysis by the Welsh Election Study suggested Labour voters in Wales were far more likely to go to Plaid Cymru. He also warned of a 'backroom stitch-up' between Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives and Reform in May, although the Welsh nationalist party has repeatedly ruled out working with either rightwing rival in next year's Senedd. 'I was cringing when he said that,' a Labour figure in Cardiff Bay said. 'It's as if the UK government has already decided the Welsh government isn't a priority they are going to fight for.' Many in Westminster would argue Welsh Labour has itself to blame for ushering in the new voting system that could now help them lose office. It also emerged at Llandudno that Welsh Labour was yet to select candidates for the new lists, and was unlikely to be able to finish the process before September – putting Plaid Cymru months ahead. Mark Drakeford, the former first minister, announced last week there would be no new policies in next year's budget to 'avoid political wrangling', which has not helped dispel criticisms Welsh Labour is lacking vision before the election fight of its life. 'We can't just scaremonger by saying Reform or Plaid Cymru are unknown quantities,' another Labour source in Cardiff Bay said. 'We've got 10 months to show we have ideas and we can deliver. But we've also had 26 years to do that.'
Wales Online
19-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
'The Welsh people have had to suffer' over lack of action on M4
'The Welsh people have had to suffer' over lack of action on M4 The Brynglas tunnels were called a "national 26 years of mismanagement" (Image: South Wales Echo ) People in Wales have had to suffer because of the Welsh Government's decision to scrap the M4 relief road, Senedd members said. A debate in Cardiff Bay heard arguments from a series of Conservative Senedd members criticising the decision, made six years ago this month not to proceed with a £1.5bn plan to divert the M4 south of Newport on a new six-lane route to avoid the Brynglas tunnels bottleneck. One Tory MS said the Brynglas tunnels were a "national 26 years of mismanagement". The Welsh Conservatives picked the M4 relief road as the topic of their debate in the meeting of the full Senedd, calling for the Welsh Government to put the idea back on the table. You can read the history to the debate here. Both Plaid Cymru and Labour voted against the motion. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . Former deputy minister for transport Lee Waters told the Senedd "new roads lead to more traffic". Article continues below He said before the tolls on the Severn Bridge were removed in 2018 traffic was forecast to rise by 17%. However, he said National Highways figures show it is now up 34% compared to when there were tolls. "That's what happens when you increase road capacity, when you encourage and incentivise driving—32,000 vehicles a day now crossing the Severn bridge. A University of London study last year showed that, as a result, more people are now commuting from Newport to Bristol because what happens when you increase road capacity is people simply move further away from their place of work. So they drive further. "As a result, house prices within a 5km range of the bridge are now up by 13%. Double the rise in Newport. So that's what happens. People travel more. "They travel further from their place of living to their work, and more journeys are created. So, as soon as you've built the road, the traffic congestion levels are up and, lo and behold, what's the next demand? Build another road to relieve the congestion. And round and round we go. And the evidence is clear, it doesn't work." However, the Welsh Conservatives criticised the scheme being stopped. Welsh Conservative MS Sam Rowlands told colleagues: "The Welsh Government spent £135.7 million of public money on plans for the M4 relief road before scrapping it. "FOI requests from the Welsh Conservatives on the scheme found that 29 homes were purchased for over £15 million through compulsory purchase orders. "Two of these properties were bought for £575,000 and £400,000 in April 2019, just two months before the First Minister decided to ditch the scheme. "At least £44 million was spent by the Welsh Government on development costs and a public inquiry, an inquiry that in fact backed the building of the relief road, saying the economic benefit of the project would outweigh the cost by two to one. "At every step of this journey, there's been indecision and money wasted. "At the end of it all, it's been the Welsh people who've had to suffer as a result." Fellow Conservative MS Gareth Davies said: "The Brynglas tunnels have become a national symbol—a bottleneck where people sit stationary for miles in traffic. It's a perfect illustration of 26 years of mismanagement". Transport minister Ken Skates refuted the Welsh Government had "stood still" in improving things at the M4. Article continues below "Lord Burns and the South East Wales Transport Commission put forward recommendations on both the short-and-long-term solutions to relieve congestion, and the short-term measures have been fully implemented on the M4," he said. He referenced plans for the so-called Burns stations - east Cardiff, west Newport, Somerton, Llanwern, and Magor and Undy - which saw a financial commitment from the UK Government in Rachel Reeves' spending review. You can see the five stations here.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fix system and give Wales fair funding
Wales does not get its "fair share of rail funding" and the system must be "fixed", said a former Labour minister responsible for transport. Plans for a £6.6bn Oxford-Cambridge rail line were previously classified as an England-only project, which means Wales could have been entitled to more money. But the Treasury announced there was a "publishing error" in a 2020 document and it should have been classified as an England and Wales project. Lee Waters, the Labour MS for Llanelli said the "cock-up" highlights the broader issue of how "unclear" and in need of reform the funding system is. Anger as Oxford rail line classed as England and Wales project Why does Wales not receive money from HS2? Rail plan reclassified, denying Wales funding - MP Rail in Wales is not devolved, which means funding is determined through the UK government using the Barnett formula. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Monday, Waters said: "Is it cockup, is it a conspiracy? Who knows - almost always a cockup in my experience." But he said "it speaks to the broader truth" that "the system needs fixing". He said: "We have not had our fair share of funding, the formula does not work to our advantage. "It is not clear how the formula works and therefore we don't trust when things like this pop up." Waters said only a few weeks ago the Welsh government "had to dip into our own coffers" to pay for the national insurance costs, which should be covered by the UK government as per a Treasury agreement. "We need to reform the Barnett formula," Waters said. "We need to have the UK treasury acting as a UK treasury for the whole of the UK, not just for whoever happens to be in government in England at the time." He added that this is not "a party issue" because "this happened under the last government, it's happening under this government". He said it is "the government machine" which must be "changed and fixed". He said he is "confident" his London colleagues are ensuring Wales gets more funding, but is "less confident" they are trying to reform the Barnett formula. He said part of the issue is there "is not a Wales pot of money for rail, we have to fight our corner in the England and Wales pot". Waters said: "There's a UK Labour manifesto commitment to create a Wales fund for schemes so there can be transparency." But he said he is "nervous" about "wholesale devolution of rail without the extra funding", because it comes with the responsibility of repair work. He said: "You can argue we should get the extra funding, but it's back to 'do we trust the UK funding arrangements to do that?'" The UK government previously said the "error" over the Oxford-Cambridge line classification "will be amended when an update is published at the spending review". The HM Treasury has been approached for comment.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Wales not given fair funding for rail, says Lee Waters
Wales does not get its "fair share of rail funding" and the system must be "fixed", said a former Labour minister responsible for for a £6.6bn Oxford-Cambridge rail line were previously classified as an England-only project, which means Wales could have been entitled to more the Treasury announced there was a "publishing error" in a 2020 document and it should have been classified as an England and Wales Waters, the Labour MS for Llanelli said the "cock-up" highlights the broader issue of how "unclear" and in need of reform the funding system is. Rail in Wales is not devolved, which means funding is determined through the UK government using the Barnett formula. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Monday, Waters said: "Is it cockup, is it a conspiracy? Who knows - almost always a cockup in my experience."But he said "it speaks to the broader truth" that "the system needs fixing".He said: "We have not had our fair share of funding, the formula does not work to our advantage. "It is not clear how the formula works and therefore we don't trust when things like this pop up."Waters said only a few weeks ago the Welsh government "had to dip into our own coffers" to pay for the national insurance costs, which should be covered by the UK government as per a Treasury agreement."We need to reform the Barnett formula," Waters said. "We need to have the UK treasury acting as a UK treasury for the whole of the UK, not just for whoever happens to be in government in England at the time."He added that this is not "a party issue" because "this happened under the last government, it's happening under this government".He said it is "the government machine" which must be "changed and fixed".He said he is "confident" his London colleagues are ensuring Wales gets more funding, but is "less confident" they are trying to reform the Barnett said part of the issue is there "is not a Wales pot of money for rail, we have to fight our corner in the England and Wales pot."Waters said: "There's a UK Labour manifesto commitment to create a Wales fund for schemes so there can be transparency."But he said he is "nervous" about "wholesale devolution of rail without the extra funding", because it comes with the responsibility of repair work. He said: "You can argue we should get the extra funding, but it's back to 'do we trust the UK funding arrangements to do that?'"The UK government previously said the "error" over the Oxford-Cambridge line classification "will be amended when an update is published at the spending review".The HM Treasury has been approached for comment.
Pembrokeshire Herald
07-06-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Cabinet approves transport strategy wish list
PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL'S Cabinet has endorsed a Regional Transport Strategy that relies on Welsh Government funding of £125m over the next five years. However, the plan also relies on the Council spending other money allocated to it by the Welsh Government to pay for the delivery of Welsh Government as well as local priorities. Based on comparisons between similar projects, the low end of the cost of delivering the Pembrokeshire-only projects will be at least £66m. That suggests that not only will all the projects not come to fruition in the plan period but also indicates that the Welsh Government funding allocation to them underestimates the cost of delivering the majority, if not all, of the projects. If the strategy's budget is fantasy, the prospects of delivering all of it are even more fanciful. The projects in the strategy read like a Guardian reader's wishlist instead of something grounded in local needs. ACTIVE TRAVEL SCHEMES DOMINATE The thirty-plus projects located solely in Pembrokeshire include fifteen schemes solely dedicated to active travel or which incorporate active travel as part of them. In context, and based on the cost of delivering similar schemes, the low-end estimate for 'active travel' schemes alone is around £22m. 'Active Travel' under the Welsh Government's Active Travel Act refers to efforts to reduce the use of cars for everyday journeys, such as commuting and education. Active travel schemes create infrastructure which supports walking, cycling, and wheeling (e.g., wheelchairs, mobility scooters). Those schemes work well in urban areas. However, in rural areas with dispersed working populations, such as Pembrokeshire, their impact is less beneficial. The now-former Welsh Government minister Lee Waters got an earful from Plaid Cymru and fringe environmental groups (mostly funded by the Welsh Government) when he dared say that cars would continue to be the primary mode of transportation in rural Wales. If an MS from Dolgellau can use an e-scooter to get the mile and a half from their taxpayer-funded flat in Cardiff to the Senedd, there's evidently no reason why commuters between Fishguard and Haverfordwest can't do the same. The active travel schemes planned for Pembrokeshire include a Multi-User Route from Narberth to Haverfordwest, an active travel route from Pembroke Dock to Pennar, one from Pembroke to Angle, six schemes in and around Tenby, and an expansion of the County Council's e-bike scheme. BIG TICKET SPENDING The big spending item is the relocation of the A487 at Newgale. That project has been on the cards for fourteen years, if not longer. It forms part of the Welsh Government's regional transport strategy as a permanent solution to the challenge of coastal erosion and the increased risks of tidal and pluvial flooding, standing against less certain and temporary interventions to hold the existing line. As it is part of the Regional Strategy, it will be predominantly funded by the Welsh Government through project-specific grants, in the same way as the preliminary investigations and public engagement. The plan will funnel transport funding towards supporting the Celtic Sea Freeport. Its backers hope the Freeport's economic impact will be positive and spread across the Freeport area. However, the existing transport infrastructure for it is a bad joke. Addressing its shortcomings is a major component of the Regional Transport Strategy. Setting aside projects scheduled for Neath Port Talbot, millions of pounds are projected to be spent on hydrogen fuel infrastructure and green/blue energy grid improvements. However, one project guaranteed to cause controversy seeks to increase road capacity and flow through Pembroke to support increased traffic from the Celtic Freeport development in the Angle Peninsula. Bearing in mind obvious geographical and logistical constraints and its need to cross conservation areas and sensitive landscapes within the National Park, any road expansion (there's also an active travel route planned) will likely cause uproar and cost tens of millions to deliver. That is, however, a long-term project. MORE TRANSPORT HUBS In the medium term, the Regional Strategy looks at a multi-million-pound project to improve roads between Haverfordwest and Milford Haven. That scheme looks to address congestion between the county town and the centre of Freeport operations in Pembrokeshire. Again, geographical and logistical issues suggest that the project will find it difficult to do much more than put lipstick on a pig. If, however, the scheme manages to resolve the congestion hotspots at Cartlett, Salutation Square (subject to a separate congestion-easing plan), Freemen's Way, and Johnston as far as the Sunnycroft Roundabout, it will doubtless be welcomed by commuters. And, if you thought one transport hub was a bad idea, there's more to come – from the Milford Haven transport interchange to one planned for Pembroke Dock, improved access to Fishguard's ferry port, and a host of other projects that will connect Pembrokeshire's public transport network, as the plan puts it poetically 'ensuring better multimodal connectivity'. Given the almost certain budget problems which these projects will encounter and, therefore, cause the County Council when it comes to setting its budgets, ensuring Pembrokeshire gets what it needs to improve the local economy instead of what the Welsh Government thinks it ought to have will be a major source of tension and contention. If half of the plan is delivered on time, on budget, and within the Welsh Government's funding envelope, its effects will be limited – as we will all have pigs to fly around on.
