MOVE ALONG NOTHING TO SEE HERE…

Plaid Cymru in Newport has long called for a new railway station to serve Caerleon and Ponthir to be added to the original Burns Commission recommendations, which we are still waiting for,  as a matter of urgency.  Many people in Newport, welcomed the commitment, a few years ago, to build new railway stations at Tredegar Park, Somerton, Llanwern, and Magor. 

Like many things in under a Labour in Wales government it seems to take a long time to get things done, even when there is a Labour government in Westminster. This is partially because of the lack of devolved control of network rail and transport planning and also perhaps down to the lack of any real political will to do anything save to administer an imperfect devolved devolution settlement and live with a real lack of investment in our railways. 

Certainly both the Conservatives and Labour have massively under-invested in Wales.  Over the last 25 years if Wales had had the same funding per head for railways as England it would have received about another £2.5 billion.  However you look at - this is an enormous amount of money for a small country like Wales.  

Is it any wonder that such a small percentage of the railways in Wales have been electrified;

 

o England 45%

o Scotland 33%

o Wales  9%

 

Most of the percentage for Wales has not been funded by Westminster, but by the Labour in Wales Welsh government investing in creating the South Wales Metro.  Prior to this only 3.7% of Welsh railways were electrified.  

Given this lack of funding from Westminster the government of Wales has had to take money from other budgets to electrify Welsh railways and buy new rolling stock.  Imagine the difference £2.5 billion could have made either spent on railway investment or on schools or hospitals.

 

In 2020 the Labour in Wales Welsh government calculated that the underspend in Wales between 2001 and 2029 would bearound £5.1 billion on the basis of population, or £10.2 billion on the basis of route length (Wales has about 11% of total track). 

Yet the current Labour in Westminster government in London is continuing to short-change Wales and make matters worse.  

With expenditure over the rest of the life of this parliament of £25.3 billion announced for HS2, £15.6 billion for English regional transport (much of which will likely be spent on rail), £3.5 billion for a Trans Pennine rail route, £2.5 billion for an Oxford Cambridge route, £1.75 billion for a Midlands rail hub and £2.2 billion for Transport for London about £50 billion of railway projects in England have been announced and only £445million for Wales - less than 1%.  

So spending per head in Wales will be about one sixth of that in England under the latest spending plans, with the Treasury First Secretary literally telling Wales that we should be ‘a bit more grateful’ to get even this…

Plaid Cymru in Newport and Monmouthshire has long called for our existing railway stations to be significantly upgraded as part of the process of creating a functioning South Wales metro.  The Party of Wales broadly welcomed the report of the South East Wales Transport Commission which recommend ways to reduce congestion on the M4 motorway without building a new relief road around Newport.  

Plaid has long called for greater investment in public transport, with a much better integration and coordination of rail and bus networks and integrated ticketing across all services – with the emphasis that it is needed sooner rather than later.  Now with the prospect of a Plaid Cymru government in Cardiff, we should have a government that will consistently fight for Wales. 

LABOUR NOT SERIOUS ABOUT WALES

In response to the Minister for Delivery’s comments on the devolution of rail to Wales where she stated "I'm not sure we're wanting the devolution of it," in a BBC interview this weekend, Plaid Cymru’s transport spokesperson, Peredur Owen-Griffiths MS said:

 

“This is an incredible admission from the Minister for Delivery that Labour in Wales don’t in fact want to see rail devolved to Wales after all.

 

“Westminster never have, and never will treat us fairly - our rail infrastructure has suffered from decades of neglect, and successive UK Governments have failed to deliver the fair funding Wales needs to improve its transport network.

 

“There’d be no u-turns with a Plaid Cymru government on this issue - along with keeping up the fight to demand the HS2 billions we’re owed, we’ll keep making the case that Wales should have full powers over its rail.”

 

- ENDS -

 

Nodiadau i’r Golygydd / Editor’s Notes

 

• Full story and Julie James MS, Minister for Delivery’s comments: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g46m41kr5o

FOR WALES, SEE ENGLAND

The UK Railways Bill does nothing to address ‘injustice’ of Welsh railways funding, says Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru has today (Tuesday 9 December) warned that the UK Government’s Railways Bill locks Wales into a broken funding and governance system and fails to recognise the need to devolve powers over railways to Wales.

Ahead of the first debate on the Railways Bill in the House of Commons today, Plaid Cymru’s transport spokesperson in Westminster, Ann Davies MP, said that while the Bill may simplify rail operations in England, it completely fails to address Wales’ lack of control over its own rail infrastructure and the billions in funding the nation loses as a result.

Ms Davies said that the Labour UK Government has “decided to follow the age-old adage that ‘for Wales: See England’ when it comes to this bill. She said it was a “travesty” that a nation which built the first steam locomotive, supplied the steel and coal that powered the UK’s railways is the “only nation in Great Britain without control of its own network.”

The Railways Bill will create Great British Railways (GBR), integrating track and train operations, centralising long-term planning, ticketing and service management for England. But under the Bill, Wales remains tied into an “England and Wales” structure, despite transport being a partly devolved responsibility to Wales.

Plaid Cymru has criticised the legislation for:

• No devolution of rail infrastructure – Unlike Scotland, which has had full control over rail since 2005 and produces its own Long-Term Rail Strategy, Wales will only be ‘consulted’ on an England-and-Wales strategy
• Continuing the broken split in responsibilities – Different governments control different parts of the Welsh network, making coherent rail planning for Wales impossible.
• Zero action on unfair funding – The Bill ignores the billions Wales has lost through the misclassification of major English rail projects such as HS2, East-West Rail, and Northern Powerhouse Rail.
  

Recent analysis shows Wales is set to lose out on roughly £6 billion from these decisions alone. By designating them as “England and Wales” schemes – despite not a single centimetre being built in Wales – the UK Government avoids triggering Barnett consequentials. Scotland and Northern Ireland receive funding; Wales receives nothing.

Ahead of the debate, Ann Davies MP said:

"This bill makes sense for England. However, it does not work for Wales. It fails to address our lack of control over the Welsh rail track, where two governments manage different parts of what should be a single network. This split makes planning railways in the best interests of the people of Wales almost impossible.

“We can see this in the broken promise to electrify the South Wales Mainline beyond Cardiff, or even to start work on the equivalent line in the north. Scotland, by contrast, controls its rail network and sets its own strategy, giving Scottish ministers real influence over Great British Railways. Under this Bill, Welsh ministers can only ask to be consulted – Wales does not want consultation, we deserve control.

“This Government is following the old adage: 'For Wales, see England.' It is a travesty that a nation which built the first steam locomotive, supplied the steel and coal that powered the UK’s railways, is the only nation in Great Britain without control of its own network. Plaid Cymru is clear: Welsh rail should be in Welsh hands. It is time to devolve rail to Wales."

- Ends -

NOT A BUDGET FOR WALES

We were promised Wales would benefit from two Labour governments, but Welsh councils and local services face another disastrous settlement. 

Only Plaid Cymru will stand up for communities across Wales, and demand a fair deal from Westminster and work to protect our public services. 

Wales was promised that things would improve under Labour’s ‘partnership in power’.  

But Wales still hasn’t received the billions owed from HS2, no control over our natural resources, and hit hardest by Labour’s taxes.

In today’s Budget, Plaid Cymru called for fairness.

Yet nothing in Labour’s Budget changes the fundamental unfairness facing Wales. 

Labour has given up on Wales. 

Plaid Cymru remains the only party standing up for our communities, demanding the fairness and ambition that Wales needs and deserves.

WHEN WESTMINSTER DOES THE COUNTING, WALES ALWAYS LOSES OUT

Plaid Cymru urges Chancellor to address the shortchanging of Wales in the Budget  

 

Ahead of the Budget on 26 November, Plaid Cymru has called on the Chancellor to deliver a budget that works for Wales.  

 

The party’s Treasury Spokesperson, Ben Lake MP, has said that Wales is “losing out on billions from unfair spending decisions” made by this Labour UK Government.  

 

This includes the continued denial of Barnett consequentials from railway projects such as HS2 and the Oxford-Cambridge line, damaging taxes on family businesses and farms, as well as a shortfall in Wales’ public sector from Employer NIC rises.  However, while Mr Lake has said that the people of Wales are “bearing the brunt” of Labour’s damaging policies, it is unlikely that Rachel Reeves will change these fundamentals next week.   

  

Ahead of the Budget, Plaid Cymru has called for:

  

• Reclassification of HS2 and the Oxford–Cambridge rail as England-only projects to ensure Wales receives the billions it is owed in Barnett consequentials;    

• Unlock Wales’s borrowing powers to address historic underinvestment;    

• Halt Labour’s damaging taxes on work and introduce a tax on extreme wealth;  

• Cut the cost of energy and give Wales control of the Crown Estate.  

  

 Plaid Cymru’s Treasury Spokesperson, Ben Lake MP said:  

 

“Once again, this Budget seems likely to fall short of what Wales needs or deserves, because when Westminster does the counting, Wales always loses out.  

 

“The string of U-turns from Labour over the last few weeks has left the public 

wondering what they actually stand for, if anything at all. From income tax rises to the two-child cap, their backtracking leaves little confidence that Wednesday’s Budget will bring clarity, or that Labour themselves have faith in their fiscal strategy.  

 

“But people across Wales are not just looking for stability, they’re looking for ambition that will provide real change to improve their day to day lives. That is what Plaid Cymru’s proposals to the Chancellor are offering, and that is why she should take them seriously ahead of the Budget on Wednesday.   

 

“Wales has lost out on billions from unfair spending decisions made by this Labour UK Government. Plaid Cymru is simply calling for fairness, and for a budget that will  deliver for Wales. From calling for the billions owed to Wales from HS2 to the devolution of the Crown Estate, to demanding action on the cost of living and a rethink of Labour's tax rises on family businesses and farms. 

 

“There is a clear pattern of Wales being treated unfairly. We were promised better with two Labour Governments at both ends of the M4, yet we’re seeing more of the same, with people across Wales bearing the brunt of Labour’s damaging policies. If the Chancellor wanted to meet the needs of people in Wales and match their appetite for real change, then she would listen to Plaid Cymru’s proposals and provide our communities with the tools and the investment they need to thrive.”  

 

- ENDS -  

A BUDGET WITH A WHIFF OF PANIC

Not that long ago, if there was a budget leak then there might have been resignations, now in the run up to the budget lots of kites (ideas) are flown and various ideas appear from the ether to be be tested - before budget day - so very New Labour. 

The recent debacle over income tax increases is a case in point.

A Budget that’s been rewritten in panic will not deliver for Wales. With the Chancellor removing a major proposals barely two weeks before Budget Day – something which triggered a run on UK government bonds – if nothing else this suggests that there is something seriously wrong at the heart of this Labour in Westminster Government.

Our nation needs financial and political stability and needs the ability to plan ahead. A continually reshaped Budget - changed to stop or contain Labour infighting, will not meet the needs of Welsh communities. 

This is no way to run an economy, especially when devolved public services rely on predictable funding. Particularly when the uncertainty in pushes up borrowing costs, it’s our communities that pay the price.

Plaid Cymru has reiterated its call for a new fiscal settlement for Wales, including:

• Devolving the Crown Estate, allowing Wales to retain revenue from its natural resources,
• Fair funding for Wales, including the long-denied HS2 consequential payments,
• A tax system that treats income from wealth fairly, rather than placing the burden on workers through threshold freezes and stealth rises

 A budget that has been drafted in panic will always fail to deliver for Wales. Our nation needs a stable, ambitious plan shaped by Welsh priorities, not last-minute U-turns in London.

Only Plaid Cymru will fight for fairness for Wales from this Budget: fair funding, including the long-denied HS2 consequentials; a tax system that treats income from wealth fairly rather than stealth tax rises; and control over the Crown Estate so that profits generated from our natural wealth stay in Wales.

LABOUR LACKS THE COURAGE TO TAKE BOLD ACTION FOR WALES

Liz Saville Roberts ‘disappointed’ following talks with UK Government ahead of Budget  

  

On Tuesday 11th November, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster Leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP met with the Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens MP to set out Plaid Cymru’s calls ahead of the Autumn Budget later this month.  

  

The meeting was secured following Ms Saville Roberts’ request to the Secretary of State during Wales Questions (29th October) for a meeting where she asked to discuss Plaid Cymru’s proposals for a “fairer, more ambitious UK Budget – one that actually works for Wales”.  

  

Following the meeting, Ms Saville Roberts said that it was “disappointing” that the Secretary of State “seemed obsessed with constitutional matters” ahead of the budget when Plaid Cymru was “focused on tackling the cost of living and ensuring our communities the investment they deserve”.  

  

During the meeting, Plaid Cymru demanded:  

  

• Full consequential funding from HS2  

  

• Action on energy bills  

  

• Pause APR and BPR changes  

  

The classification of HS2 as an ‘England and Wales’ project is denying Wales of at least £4 billion in consequential funding based on the latest cost of the project of £80 billion. When Ms Stevens was the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales in 2022, she herself called on the UK Government to deliver the “missing £4.6 billion of rail funding for Wales” – a position on which she has since rowed back. Ms Saville Roberts called on the UK Government to provide Wales with full consequential funding from HS2.   

  

Average household energy bills in 2024–25 are £1,850, up 37% from 2021–22. Households across Wales are affected by this issue with 25% of Welsh households (340,000) in fuel poverty. A contributing factor to this is standing charges, with households in north Wales paying the highest standing charges in the UK (£255.32 a year vs. £139.80 a year in London). Plaid Cymru urged the Secretary of State for Wales to act on this to help people across Wales directly through the removal of VAT from household energy bills and address the high cost of standing charges in Wales compared to the rest of the UK.  

  

Plaid Cymru also demanded that the Secretary of State pauses the changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) until a full impact assessment of the effect on small and family businesses in Wales has been carried out. Wales stands to be among the hardest hit from these changes, with Family Business UK estimating a loss of £580 million in GVA as well as 9,715 well-paid Welsh jobs. This comes in the context of new job figures which show that Wales has seen the largest fall in employment and the biggest rise in unemployment anywhere in the UK, showing that the UK Government’s changes risk undermining the very growth that they claim to be their priority for the UK economy.  

 

Speaking after the meeting, Liz Saville Roberts MP said:  

 

“I am glad to have met with the Secretary of State for Wales today to discuss Plaid Cymru’s proposals ahead of the Autumn Budget and to demand better for the people of Wales.  

 

“Rachel Reeves told us last week that we all have a duty to “do our bit”, but families in Wales have been doing just that for over fifteen years - paying more while wages have stagnated and the cost of living has soared. It’s now time for the UK Government to do its bit to improve the lives of people across Wales.  

 

“Today, I set out Plaid Cymru’s clear and practical solutions to tackle the financial challenges facing people across Wales. From demanding the billions owed to Wales from the HS2 injustice to helping households with high energy bills, I urged the Secretary of State to stand up for Wales. However, while Plaid Cymru was focused on tackling the cost of living and ensuring our communities the investment they deserve, it was disappointing that the Secretary of State seemed obsessed with constitutional matters and political point-scoring on this critical point ahead of Labour’s second budget.  

 

“Sadly, this proved to be a performative meeting rather than an opportunity to find common ground for the benefit of all our communities.” 

 - ENDS - 

EDITOR’S NOTES:

 

The Plaid Cymru Westminster leader also called on the Secretary of State for Wales to ensure that the UK Government fully covers National Insurance Contributions costs for councils in Wales. Only 85% of the costs for local authorities are being covered in Wales, unlike English councils which are covered in full. This left the Welsh Government to partially fill the gap from its own reserves, but it could not match the full cost, leaving councils facing a £36 million shortfall.  

  

Ms Saville Roberts urged Ms Stevens to unfreeze the Local Housing Allowance. The Local Housing Allowance was re-frozen by this Labour Government but this is playing a significant role in causing and sustaining homelessness in Wales, and charities like Shelter Cymru note they are being held back by insufficient housing benefit for people trying to access and maintain a home in the private rented sector.  

  

Last week, the Chancellor delivered a speech ahead of the Autumn Budget on 26 November, outlining that we must all “do our bit” to help with the UK Government’s difficult financial situation, suggesting that Labour will break their manifesto pledge not to raise income tax. Plaid Cymru is calling on the UK Government to create a fairer taxation system with the implementation of a wealth tax, believing that those with the broadest shoulders should pay their "fair share". This would be a 2% annual tax on wealth over £10 million to bring in a revenue of £24 billion every year.  

  

Jo Stevens called for HS2 funding in 2022: Rail Infrastructure - Hansard - UK Parliament