Labour criticised for promising to spend extra £100bn on Scotland – but only £3.4bn on Wales

The Labour Party have been criticised for promising to spend an extra £100bn on Scotland in their manifesto, but only £3.4 billion on Wales.

The manifesto, It’s Time for Real Change, says that they will “provide Scotland with at least around £100 billion of additional resources over two terms”.

“This investment will transform Scotland’s people, communities, public services and industries.”

Turning to Wales, however, the manifesto only notes that a UK Labour Government would invest “an extra 3.4 billion in Wales”.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said it showed how much the Labour party took Wales “for granted”.

“The absence of any ambition and investment shows the disregard and disrespect Labour have for Wales,” he said.

“Decades of underinvestment from the Westminster parties has left the communities of Wales struggling to make ends meet. In Wales, under a Labour government, almost a third of our children are living in poverty, A&E waiting times are at their highest, and the housing crisis is only perpetuated by Labour’s failure to build more council houses.

“Plaid Cymru believe that Wales has potential. But for generations, our country has put its faith and loyalty in the Westminster parties – Labour and the Tories, and get nothing in return.”

Launch

The Labour manifesto makes a number of pledges in relation to Wales:

• A constitutional convention “to better recognise the realities of a devolved UK”
• Backing environmental energy schemes such as the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project
• Attempt to deliver the Wylfa nuclear power plant project on Anglesey
• A second Brexit referendum with the Welsh Government campaigning for Remain
• Deliver rail electrification and expansion across the whole country, including in Wales

Speaking at the manifesto launch, Jeremy Corbyn said they would “upgrade our national infrastructure in every region and nation”.

“We’ll boost the devolved budgets, allowing the Welsh Labour government to build on its success with huge new projects like the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon, and putting an extra £100bn into Scotland to boost the Scottish economy, secure the future of industry and properly fund our public services,” he said.

‘Injustice’

Adam Price, however, said that some of the promises made to Wales in the 2017 Labour manifesto had now been dropped. They included reforming the Barnett formula and devolving justice.

“They’re also refusing to commit to a fairer funding formula for the devolved nations which currently leaves Wales in a much weaker position than its counterparts,” he said.

“They also have backtracked on their promise to devolve justice and policing to Wales which would right the dreadful injustices currently suffered by our citizens in the flawed ‘EnglandandWales’ justice system.

“The only way for Wales to deliver real change is to vote for a party that has Wales, not Westminster, at the top of its list of priorities.”