Plaid Cymru demand for ‘fair share’ from HS2 voted down
Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter
The Senedd rejected Plaid Cymru calls to demand HS2 be redesignated as an England-only project to unlock billions of pounds of consequential funding for Wales.
Senedd members voted 42-12 against a Plaid Cymru motion on HS2, a high-speed railway from London to Birmingham, following a debate on March 12.
The project was classified as a Wales-and-England project in 2015 by David Cameron’s UK Government despite not an inch of track crossing the border.
As a consequence, no funding has come to Wales under the Barnett formula but Scotland and Northern Ireland have received a population share of HS2 spending.
Plaid Cymru has made the case for £4bn in compensation based on estimates of the total cost but the Welsh Government has quoted a £400m figure based on spending to date.
‘Decades of neglect’
Peredur Owen Griffiths, the party’s shadow transport secretary in the Senedd, warned Welsh rail infrastructure has been systematically underfunded by the UK Government.
Calling for an end to “fundamental injustice”, he said: “Wales has received a fraction of the rail enhancement funding it is owed, our infrastructure has suffered from decades of neglect and the UK Government has failed to deliver the fair funding Wales needs.”
The Plaid Cymru politician pointed to an acknowledgment from Heidi Alexander, the UK transport secretary, that Wales has received low levels of funding historically.
“But this underfunding is not just historical, it is ongoing,” he warned. “Westminster, whether red or blue, continues to deny Wales the consequentials it is due.”
Mr Owen Griffiths raised concerns about reports that UK chancellor Rachel Reeves plans to freeze spending on major new rail projects until after the 2029 general election.
‘Collective amnesia’
Pointing out that Welsh ministers previously called for £5bn in consequential funding, he told the Senedd: “Clearly, the people of Wales cannot trust this Labour party to stick to its word.”
Mr Owen Griffiths criticised the Welsh Government’s “delete-all” amendment, which was narrowly agreed, for “U-turning” on previous policy positions.
He said: “Now, when it truly matters, they have collective amnesia. What has changed? … The only thing that has changed is Labour’s willingness to stand up for Wales when they finally got the chance to do something about it.”
Peter Fox, the Tories’ shadow transport secretary, accused Labour of playing politics. “It must be embarrassing for Labour backbenchers, hence not many here,” he said.
Labour’s heckler-in-chief Lee Waters pointed out: “There’s nobody on your front bench.”
Mr Fox said: “Politicians in both Wales and England were calling for billions of pounds … but now Labour are in power in Westminster, their call is for just a meagre £400m.”
‘Grotesque imbalance’
Labour backbencher Mick Antoniw pointed out that the previous Conservative UK Government could have designated HS2 as an England-only project.
Mr Fox, a former council leader, said the Tory Senedd group has stood against its own party on HS2 funding, adding: “It’s a kick in the teeth that you are turning your back.”
His Conservative colleague Gareth Davies warned of a “grotesque imbalance” between spending on rail in north Wales compared with the south of the country.
Labour’s Hefin David remarked: “The closer we get to an election, the poorer the standard of debate happens to be in this chamber. You would swear … that actually there’s been no progress whatsoever on rail in Wales which is manifestly not the case.”
Dr David pointed out that the newest trains in the whole of Europe now run on the Rhymney line through his Caerphilly constituency following an “incredible transformation”.
‘Transformation’
Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds said: “I feel these … debates are really the opposition parties putting down a motion and the Welsh Government saying ‘delete all’, and it feels like on this occasion just for the point of doing it and that depresses me beyond belief.”
Labour’s Alun Davies agreed, saying: “I don’t believe that’s the correct way of approaching these debates. We should look for consensus where possible – and that’s coming from me. We should look towards amending motions rather than deleting them.”
Wales’ transport secretary Ken Skates said the Welsh Government took ownership of the core valley lines and “transformed a liability into an asset”.
He told the Senedd: “And now that we have a Labour UK Government we will transform services across north Wales as well, increasing services by 50% next year.”
Mr Skates said a review of Network Rail processes will ensure Wales finally receives a fair share of all future rail infrastructure investment.
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Ken Skates couldn’t bring himself to answer why they couldn’t ask for the Welsh share of HS2 and instead pulled the independence card on Plaid with absolute rubbish stats. No shock from a good for nothing labourite who’s not improved any rail services within Wales.
What with the Labour MPs failing to support the Crown Estates bill in the Commons and now the Senedd voting down a call for fair HS2 compensation one wonders when we will get politicians who are working for Cymru rather than against us.
People must remember this for next years elections that Welsh Labour do not fight Wales corner that money is owed to Wales Vote plaid
With this treacherous vote complicit in robbing Wales of HS2 consequential only reaffirms that Whitehall plant Eluned Morgan and Welsh Labour are in league with their anti-Wales centrist English counterparts UK Labour leader Keir Starmer & Tory Kemi Badenoch. I want Plaid Cymru & Rhun ap Iorwerth to wear Welsh Labour into the ground from now until the Senedd election in May 2026. Plaid must continually remind the voting public what Welsh Labour have done. And how Eluned Morgan is not fit to be First Minister and that she’s unwilling fight our corner opting to throw in the towel I’ve… Read more »
London’s Bond Street Station is 4 years late & £570million over budget. It’s part of the Elizabeth line that went £4 Billion over budget.
I wondered why we can’t afford a North/South railway line for Cymru.
Do you believe in coincidences?
£4 Billion…exactly what Cymru are owed from HS2 spend…..£4 Billion that the BritNat parties in London say they haven’t got…and we’re not getting.
North south railway line for Wales a white elephant in the making.
The average lifespan of an elephant is 65 years. I’m willing to bet that Wales still won’t have a north-south railway line in 65 years time (though I won’t be around to collect my winnings).
Is there a need for it? I’ve travelled to North Wales many times by train from South Wales with no problems at all.
Silly gesture policies. Time would be better spent looking at how and why Welsh Government rejected devolution of rail infrastructure 20 years ago, which is what has led to this – and whether that offer from the UK Government can be revived.
It’s an uncomfortable point you make for plaid. It seems railway infrastructure devolution was turned down at the time as it opens WG to big financial shocks to fix things if eg landslides happen, it would have left Wales worse off, and would prevent any major railway project occurring again in Wales. Those concerns presumably still apply when HS2 finishes in 5 to 7 years tine.
And South Wales Metro isn’t a financial shock? Right.
Correct, although I suppose much depends on the terms of any deal to devolve rail infrastructure in the future. It’s an uncomfortable position for all parties in the Senedd I think. What I’m arguing for is an end to the begging bowl rhetoric and some serious (if rather boring) hard work around the issue.
I fully agree. I also dislike the begging bowl rhetoric as well. And general lack of seriousness within the debate. I see plaid are still calling it 6bn of missing funding despite drakeford providing a detailed breakdown a few days ago showing it nowhere near that level.
I don’t remember seeing this much effort to secure the HS2 consequentials before the general election, when national policies could have actually been influenced.
Crossrail was 70% funded by local people and businesses putting cash in with little treasury input. I rarely hear discussions about doing things for ourselves.
This is disgraceful, is only Plaid standing up for Cymru?
There is also GWLAD.
Be honest, who will actually vote for them? The right will always vote unionist because Gwlad just don’t have the correct leadership and advertising. They need to stop attacking Plaid and go for the conservatives and reform if they really want a chance.
Whenever a party is in opposition they play the “standing up for Wales” card, but when they get back into power they conveniently change their tune. Time to stop voting for parties that obey their London masters: Labour, Tories, Reform etc, and vote for ones that put WALES FIRST above all else.
Only boot lickers would vote this down. We have been cheated again. We have no veto in this fake union and from that are treated like a resource to be abused.
Yet more evidence of the betrayal of Welsh interests by the Labour party, shame on them
Look on the bright side. The utter contempt and disrespect that labour and the Tories have shown over the past few Senedd votes have probably ensured they won’t get a look in come the elections.
It’s beyond disgusting what Labour have done.