Conservatives promise A55 upgrade for Wales in manifesto
The Conservatives have promised to upgrade the A55 as part of their UK-wide manifesto, launched today by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
A number of seats in the north-east of Wales, such as Delyn, Alyn and Deeside and the Vale of Clwyd, are key to his bid to win a majority in next month’s General Election.
“To support our Union, we will upgrade the A55 as the main road transport artery for North Wales –improving its capacity and resilience to build connections between Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom,” the manifesto says.
“We are ambitious for the Welsh economy and for our Union. We will ensure that Wales gets a fair deal, with major investments in infrastructure and industry to deliver real opportunity across the nation.”
Transport is devolved, so as with the M4 relief road, it is likely that the Welsh Parliament would need to give the go ahead to any significant improvements to the A55.
The manifesto also promises to improve connectivity between England and Wales more generally.
“Too often infrastructure is focused on national connectivity within England and within Wales, rather than across the communities which live and work near the border,” the manifesto says.
“We will work with the Welsh Government and councils on both sides of the border to negotiate a transformative Marches Growth Deal, focusing on cross-border infrastructure which supports the local and cross-border economy.”
‘Ambition’
The manifesto also includes a commitment to continue to support Welsh institutions such as S4C, the National Library and Museum, the Urdd and the National Eisteddfod.
“We will support the ambition for one million people in Wales to be able to speak Welsh by 2050,” the manifesto says.
Culture is a devolved matter but broadcast is handled by the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
‘Voice’
Commenting on the launch of the Conservative manifesto, Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts said it was clear Wales was just an “afterthought”.
“Unsurprisingly Wales is just an afterthought in this manifesto, with a handful of mentions. Boris Johnson and the Conservatives care little and know even less about what our nation needs.
“He wants to force Brexit through despite the fact that it would be disastrous for Wales, risking thousands of jobs in our agriculture and manufacturing industries, and putting a hard border in the Irish Sea.
“The only way to make Wales’s voice heard, to make sure you have representatives from your community fighting for our country, is by electing Plaid Cymru MPs. ”
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Of course they will upgrade the A55 in due course – it’s a key part of the plan to reduce North Wales to complete dependency on Merseyside/ Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Is there a complimentary investment strategy for N.W Wales ( Gwynedd and Mon ) to enable indigenous businesses to thrive and export their products eastwards ? Not f***in’ likely !
C’mon Plaid, rip them a fresh one. That won’t happen as they are too busy blustering on about their version of nirvana whereas the Tories have left themselves open to a neat counter punch.
Good points. Also, better then exporting (a losers game in the long run) we need a strategy so we can produce and sell to ourselves in a virtuous circle of rising prosperity. Unfortunately, both the EU and the UK are blocks to that direction.
““He wants to force Brexit through …” says Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts, conveniently leaving out the fact that the Welsh nation voted to Leave the EU – 19 constituencies to 3.
She goes on ““The only way to make Wales’ voice heard … is by electing Plaid Cymru MPs. ”
Clearly Plaid Cymru is not listening to ‘Wales’ voice’ one iota. Their reputation will suffer from this pigheadedness for at least a generation. We will not forget it quickly.
So to use your shaky rationale plaid should have ‘listened to the people of Wales ‘ and abandoned support for Welsh independence because the electorate of Wales voted against even the limited form of devolution on offer in 1979. If you have strongly held principles about the future and well being of Wales you don’t abandon them because of electoral setback. Plaid believes – and the economic evidence strongly supports them – that brexit will be a disaster for the Welsh economy, and with two thirds of Welsh exports going to the EU it’s hard argue with that. That’s not… Read more »
That’s not how democracy should work. 40 odd years ago the Welsh rejected devolution, and the result was respected. 20 odd years ago the Welsh approved devolution, and the result was respected. 3 years ago the Welsh, along with the UK voted to leave the EU. The result was not respected. Losers consent is essential component of democracy. Without it, democracy become corrupted, which is our current state of affairs, aided and abetted, I am ashamed to say, by the party most associated with Wales.
Welsh independence is the primary priority for Plaid Cymru.
Once Welsh people have control of our affairs we can then debate and address our exports to the EU.
We can hold a referendum whether CYMRU WALES wants to join the EU with full representation in the council of ministers and commission as well as in the EU parliament.
This is a new referendum (not put before) as our membership of the UK would have ceased and therefore the question of the UK membership of the EU will not be ours to make.
how many welsh people are there? how many welsh people voted to leave? answer – population 3.139 million. Brexit voters 854,572. Without a super majority it appears that Brexit was designed to be divisive, and the reality is that only 27.2% of wales population voted for brexit. If 27.2% makes up ‘the voice of wales’ then democracy is upside down.
In 1997 only 559,419 votes were cast in favour of devolution. 50.3% of votes cast. Less than 26% of the eligible vote. According to your argument the Welsh Assembly should never have been granted. Is that really your argument?
Surely the whole point of devolution is that there generally will be fewer policy plans or announcements related to Wales and Scotland for political parties to make in UK general elections because the decisions are now being made in Cardiff or Edinburgh. The evidence from the past twenty years is that politicians like to take the credit for any successes; meanwhile any policy failures are the result of the actions of the other lot of politicians in the ‘other’ place. Devolution in Wales now is fairly clear (albeit the devolution of powers has always been clearer in Scotland) but too… Read more »
I worked in Germany…….they boss their highly devolved regions and cities less than London bosses the rest of us!….and the tories are meant to be anti-state rofl
Same in the Nordic countries, Bryn. It would be good if most Welsh people could experience
life in a north European country, even for just a year? I came out here an average Labour guy
and now I am all for Independence for Cymru. Within the European Union, of course!
Boris Johnson thinks that Wales has wonderful road networks within the country, but weak road connections going east/west from Wales to England!!! The gap isn’t the east/west routes (although they need improvement as well), but the lack of transport infrastructure within Wales itself : north/south; south west to north east; south east to north west and everywhere in between! But first and foremost we need an integrated rail and road transport system WITHIN Wales, with cutting edge electrical charging points and hydrogen refuelling capacity. Plaid is travelling the right road on this (excuse the pun!).
Absolutely right. Adam Price proposes a better rail network operating in Wales and for Wales. The Tories offer us — a souped-up A55! Do they think we’re thick? And any politician who refers to the UK state as “the nation” clearly isn’t being punched enough.
“To support our Union, we will upgrade the A55 as the main road transport artery for North Wales –improving its capacity and resilience to build connections between Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom,”
HUH!!!! The biggest problems I face is driving in reasonable time up and down this fairly small country (I understand Canada and Russia take ages…but why Cymru Fach!!)
This is just annexing Wales more and more into England without the rewards of good inter-Welsh roads and rail 🙁
Wheres the support for Aberystwyth to Caerfyrddin rail?
I think we can all admit that circumstances have changed since the 1960’s and that new thinking might be needed.
Beechings was a short sighted fool …. left us a legacy of clogged roads and ever destructive new roads which dônt seem to actually work in lowering commuter times smh
Is the answer not clear? Tories fear the defensive nature of Welsh geography if its ever used.
The railway at that time was run by inefficient steam engines, few stations and infrequent services.
The situation is now different as anyone that travels on the T1 service between Carmarthen -Lampeter-Aberaeron- Aberystwyth knows this service is well used with often full loads throughout the day.
T1 has currently an hourly weekday service.
It use ‘the Marches’.
This façades intent with language made caliginous by our own ignorance of Welsh history, versed by those acquainted since youth with their forefathers’ remedying heterogeneity of cultures incongruent to their sway over men with laws.
Ben, I am in full agreement with the statement which you have just vouched safe.
Yawn another fake poster using a fake identity to peddle lies about Adam Price and plaid cymru. Plaid and Adam must be a real threat to the British state and their stooges who pop up on here!
We are only victims because our ancestors never stood up strongly enough to the exploitation … and when they did……some were shot dead and many sent to jail and blacklisted …. like many poor English people fighting for change
Tripe.
so if Porky Johnson doesn’t do it will he be dead in Offa’s ditch?
Tories think we’re all stupid. They pledge 20000 more police after cutting over 20000 posts over the last 10 years. So they cut 40% from S4Cs budget and now say they’re going to secure the channel… They are only commiting to A55 road as they want to win votes in North East Wales. And Plaid are willing to make a deal with this nasty party….
.unbelieveable
They don’t need everyone to be stupid, just enough of us, and for the rest of us to be consumed by fatalism as polls predict a Tory win, and not bother to go out and vote.
Plaid Cymru have ruled out any coalition deals with the Tories !
We know what that ‘nasty party’ did to the Liberal democrats.
I speculate that the A55 (Euroroute E22) improvements were negotiated between Varadkar and Johnson at their Brexit breakthrough meeting at Thornton Manor on 10th October and that this sweetener, to offset delays at Holyhead on Irish hauliers heading for England, has now been repackaged as an manifesto bribe for North Wales.
Do Irish trucks pay for the wear and tear on the A55 ?. Same issue arises when you travel the A40 west of Carmarthen and see the huge wagons coming out of Fishguard ferry. We need the roads but there is no attempt at recovering costs from the big juggernauts that ruin them.
A55 improvements to suit UK/Irish trade surely? From when have the Tories cared about North Wales?
Correct, Dave. It’s also being done to facilitate turning Denbighshire into a cross-border commuter belt, of course. Mae o’n cynnig i’r Gogledd dim byd.