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Welsh Gov has a ‘dogmatic hatred’ of private car use, says Tory Senedd leader

09 Jul 2021 3 minute read
M4 traffic at Port Talbot. Picture by Ben Salter (CC BY 2.0). Inset: Andrew RT Davies.

The leader of the Tories in the Senedd has accused the Welsh Government of having a “dogmatic hatred” of private car use.

Andrew RT Davies made the comments in response to a move to impose a blanket freeze on major road projects.

Lee Waters MS, the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, announced a freeze on all new road-building projects in Wales last month while a review is carried out by the Welsh Government.

Davies said it was “hypocritical” of the Welsh Government to “chuck a load of cash at Aston Martin”, and then pause the road projects.

The Welsh Government has given £19m in grants to the British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers.

But Waters says the freeze is necessary because the climate emergency demands that we “do things differently”.

In a column for The National, Andrew RT Davies said: “Sadly, the Welsh Government seems to have a dogmatic hatred for private car use, yet were still happy to give grants to Aston Martin to build SUVs in the Vale of Glamorgan.

“Now I’m all in favour of ministers encouraging job growth, innovation and attracting businesses, but their economic strategy is full of contradictions.

“It’s hypocritical to chuck a load of cash at Aston Martin, and then in the next breath cancel road building projects altogether.”

‘Standstill’

He also said: “The Welsh Labour government’s recent announcement of a freeze on road building threatens to bring the Welsh economy to a complete standstill.

“In many cases, the decision will not have the intended result of reducing carbon emissions, and will increase congestion, often in residential areas.

“It will most certainly hold back our recovery at a fragile economic time and well and truly puts up a sign that says Wales is closed for business.”

Announcing the freeze last month, Lee Waters said he had to take action to “significantly cut carbon emissions”.

“Today, in my role as Deputy Climate Change Minister I’m announcing a pause in all roads schemes not under construction while we review how much headroom we have keep building new roads and meet our Net Zero emissions targets by 2050,” he said.

“I’m asking a panel of experts to look at when new roads are justified – for safety or access reasons for example and how we can redirect funding to roads maintenance and public transport.

“A Climate Emergency demands that we do things differently.”


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Chris
Chris
2 years ago

Why won’t the low rent Trump just shut up?
ReTweet never had anything original or useful to say. He talks entirely in provocative social media posts. Like one of a million anonymous keyboard Hitlers, just raging into the void and thinking it makes them relevant
I mean come on Tories! Try and find amongst your ranks a decent, scandal-free member to be your leader and eject this useless seat warmer from the role!

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

poor old Rotund Terry, like most gammonista feels confused about the 21st century and longs for the good old days of the 19th century, for king and empire!! Hussar!

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

Will Llanbedr get its by-pass I wonder?

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Only if RT manages to persuade his party at Westminster to stump up the money they swore they would provide in their 2019 manifesto.
Don’t hold your breath but Android needs to put up or shut up when his mob hold the purse strings.

Mark
Mark
2 years ago
Reply to  Kerry Davies

According to some Powys Council workers I bumped into yesterday, there has been some money released from the Treasury, especially for quaint country roads to be resurfaced, so they’re more appealing to tourists. Not sure if it’s just us lucky people in Powys or if other counties are having Inglish tax payers money thrown at them 😉

Nick Randall-Smith
Nick Randall-Smith
2 years ago

How can the Tories be worried about climate change and yet complain about moves to limit çlimate change?

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

Here’s an equally daft headline : “Tory Senedd leader has dogmatic hatred of anything Welsh” Oh, actually it makes MORE sense !

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

Davies is a total dingbat.

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