Tories accuse Labour of ‘neglecting and ignoring North Wales’ with Metro plans
The Tories have accused Labour ministers of overlooking North Wales with their plans for a Metro project.
Over £1 billion has been earmarked for the South Wales Metro, but the Conservatives say only £50 million of this has been allocated for the North Wales Metro project.
They also say they are concerned that the Welsh Government is becoming “overly-reliant” on the Metro projects as a solution to Wales’ transport problems.
Lee Waters, the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, who has responsibility for transport unveiled new maps that reveal the scale of the Metro project.
He argues that the Metro will make it the easier choice for people to use their cars less and public transport and active travel more, to significantly reduce our environmental impact and help Wales reach its Net Zero carbon target by 2050.
But Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS, who spoke in the Senedd today following an update on the Metro, said: “The Metro isn’t going to be an all singing, all dancing, rail scheme that will serve as a silver bullet for our infrastructure and climate challenges.
“Labour’s transport plans involve buses and bicycles, so it is vital that ministers still invest in our road network and ensure it is up to scratch.
“Such investment is particularly important for people living in our rural areas – where our public transport system is shambolic – who rely on cars to get to work and hospital appointments.
“It is clear that Labour’s over-reliance on the Metro as an immediate transport solution will be damaging to the Welsh economy and people’s day to day lives, without concurrent investment into road improvements.”
‘Let down’
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for North Wales, Darren Millar MS, added: “The people and communities of North Wales deserve our fair share of investment but yet again we are being let down by the Welsh Labour Government.
“It is grossly unfair that North Wales is receiving just £50 million of the £1,000 million being spent on metro projects in Wales. That figure is an insult to the people of North Wales, and it is no wonder that we feel like poor relations to people in the south.
“We deserve so much better than this.”
Lee Waters defended the plan in the Senedd, telling Darren Millar: “It’s the first time I’ve heard him make a case for rail investment in north Wales.
“As I say, he’s normally obsessed with putting money into road-building schemes, despite then going on to plead for the plight of the red squirrel, which – by the way, if we don’t tackle change, biodiversity will be threatened. So, there’s a disconnect in his argument and his thinking too.226
“As I said, the state of the metros in different parts of Wales are different. We have to raise ambition and delivery right across Wales. That’s what our Wales transport strategy is about, which he hasn’t supported.
“That’s what our investment in the metro is about, which he hasn’t supported. And that’s what the announcement today about the delivery board for north Wales is about. I’d be grateful if he’d support that.”
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say’s the Party that has ignored NI, Welsh freeports, the Tidal Lagoon. the Covid crisis in England, pushed the Scots to #Indyref2, ignored the Northern Powerhouse oh God the list is endless. #torylies
Enough narrow (gauge) thinking…a mainline link between Porthmadog and Bangor !
..says the party that ignores Wales in its entirety most of the time ! Obviously need to see things beyond a Cardiff centric view but don’t count on these boys and girls for anything much beyond sniping criticism.
We in wales have got to stop being little Englanders and and be proud to be welsh start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴 it’s time for a new wales 🏴 kick all English party’s out of wales 🏴 that’s the Tories Labour and all Brexit party’s get the people in your town’s out voting for new wales 🏴 stop all second homes 🏠 in wales 🏴
This is the party that is defending 2nd home owners in North Wales who are destroying communities and forcing the closures of councils, businesses and schools. They give as much of a sh1t about North Wales as they do for the rest of our country ie absolutely zero.
Is this the party that decided HS2 was an England & Wales project rather than England-only which, as a result, will absorb Wales rail infastructure funding for a decade?
It doesn’t need to be either-or – we need better transport in the South as well as the North!
This is the same Tory party that wants to spend £1.5 billion on the M4 relief road.
Lee Robinson, Development Director for North Wales, TfW February 2019.
Is Mr Robinson telling lies or is it, as usual the Tory?
In other news English Tory MPs complain about all investment going to London.
If it was not for the hypocrisy, there is a fair point in this. Our government needs to go out of its way to demonstrate that infrastructure investment is being applied in an evenhanded manner. This may be as much about messaging as substance. Is there a solid commitment now to establish a teaching hospital in Gwynedd?
I am a ‘North Walian.’ I am really looking forward to the north Wales metro, which will be great.
I understand why more is being spent in the south – most of our population live there.
The Tories really need to stop playing north Wales off against south Wales. It’s a pathetic attempt to divide and rule from a party that has lost all scruples. Let’s not fall for their dirty tricks. We are all Welsh together!
I agree with you there – we are all Welsh and need to stick together! Though I’d love to see a metro complex in the north too and better connections between the two areas, pulling our country together. The Tories care little for Wales, they complain in the hope of gaining votes and as you say pit North against south, a totally unscrupulous party.
We need not only a rail service that is not reliant on having to use English rail lines to connect with north and south Wales but a direct branch line North/South, that East and West of Wales can connect with, Wales suffered exponentially at the hands of Beeching, in my opinion, not enough thought was given to the Welsh rail system, other than it’s not profitable shut it down and without due consideration to the isolated communities of the Welsh countryside.