Adam Price meets with Theresa May to ‘put the case for a new Wales’

The new Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price, has said that he ‘put the case for a new Wales’ in a meeting with the UK Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street today.

Adam Price said he used the opportunity to make the case for a new settlement across the UK during a time of constitutional and economic change.

The party’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, also attended the meeting with Theresa May.

“In a constructive meeting with the British Prime Minister I put forward the case for Wales,” Adam Price said.

“At a time of significant constitutional and economic upheaval, I pressed for a new settlement for Wales so that we have the tools to help ourselves.

“From day one of my leadership, I have been putting forward new ideas for a new Wales.

“Today I reiterated the need for Wales to have the means to help ourselves and close the economic chasm that persists.

“We will use all possible avenues to make Wales’s voice heard and continue to press the Prime Minister on the issues that matter most to our nation.”

M4

The meeting came after Plaid Cymru accused the UK Government of blackmailing over Wales with Monday’s budget announcement.

UK ministers said their Welsh counterparts may be given an extra £300m in borrowing if it is spent on the planned M4 Relief Road.

The Welsh Government said it was for AMs to decide how to spend any new money.

Plaid Cymru Treasury Spokesperson, Jonathan Edwards MP, called for a new arm’s length funding and taxation body to reconcile disputes between Westminster and Wales.

Mr Edwards said that “the wool is being pulled over the Welsh Government’s eyes” and an independent body is needed to arbitrate on budget disputes.

“It is no accident that the section on public lavatories took up more time in the Budget speech than measures relating to Wales,” Jonathan Edwards said. “To Westminster, Wales is an afterthought.

“It is difficult not to come to the conclusion that Westminster is trying to hoodwink Wales. A new independent arm’s length body would be able to arbitrate between disputes and create a fairer Westminster Budget process.

“With fiscal powers now shared between Westminster and Wales these disputes will only become more commonplace and complex. The Treasury cannot be judge and jury on the fallout of funding issues.

“Today’s dispute on the borrowing powers for the M4 relief road demonstrates the scale of the issue. The Welsh Government shouldn’t capitulate to the demands of the Westminster’s M4 black route blackmail.

“We simply can’t let the cynical Westminster Government pull the wool over the eyes of the complacent Labour Welsh Government – it is the people of Wales who lose out.”