Businesses need ‘proper support, not lectures from professors or academics’, Tories claim

The Tories have claimed that businesses need “proper support, not lectures from professors or academics”.

Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Conservatives in the Senedd launched an attack on the Welsh Government on his first constituency visit of the election campaign.

Davies, who is standing for the party in Bridgend Rachel Nugent Finn, visited The Hi-Tide Inn in Porthcawl, and claimed that Labour ministers “moved the goalposts” on a Covid support scheme.

The Welsh Government’s Business Wales website says that the package is “designed to cover businesses until after the election, pending the continued easement of restrictions and the outcome of restriction reviews in April”.

The Conservatives says that companies had been told a £180m Non-Domestic Rates Linked Grant was intended to cover businesses until to today (March 31), but that Labour ministers have now said that has to last until at least May 6.

Davies has described this as a “betrayal” of Welsh businesses that will put “thousands of jobs at risk”.

He has also said Welsh Conservatives will back date business support to April after May 6 as part of the party’s “Covid bounce back package” to compensate for Labour’s decision.

‘Broken promises’ 

Speaking after the Bridgend visit, Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies said: “The decision to move the goalposts on financial support is the latest betrayal of Welsh businesses by Labour after 22 years of broken promises.

“The decision to backtrack on support will be devastating for many small businesses and puts thousands of Welsh jobs at risk.

“Welsh Conservatives will put right this wrong after May’s election, and backdate support for those businesses hit by this decision such as the Hi-Tide in Bridgend.

“It will form part of our Covid bounce back package to support the Welsh economy, which includes the establishment of a £2.5 billion Rebuild Wales Investment Fund and the creation of 65,000 new jobs.

“Welsh businesses need proper support, not lectures from professors or academics, and they certainly don’t need another Labour-Plaid coalition, which would only hold back the Welsh economy.

“We need to get Wales on the road to recovery after the pandemic and only the Welsh Conservatives can be trusted to deliver a stronger economy and a better Wales.”