Heledd Fychan Canol De Cymru - South Wales Central

Welsh Government backtracks on commitment to demand HS2 consequential funding for Wales

Ahead of a Plaid Cymru Senedd debate next week (to be held on Wednesday, 23 October) Heledd Fychan MS has said that Labour backbenchers should ‘stand up and be counted’and call out their Welsh Labour Government colleagues for backtracking on demanding HS2 consequential funding for Wales. This comes following an amendment to the debate, tabled by Welsh Government, that only proposes “further discussion” about HS2 funding now that we have an UK Labour Government in power.

In April 2023, all parties in the Senedd voted for a Plaid Cymru motion calling for HS2 consequential funding to be made available to Wales, with the then-Deputy Climate Change Minister, Lee Waters, welcoming the cross-party consensus on the issue, stating that ‘this is a very simple thing really. This is an England-only project and we should be getting a devolved consequentials from that. It's a scandal that we are not.’

Only last month, the First Minister for Wales, Eluned Morgan, pledged to ‘beat a path' to the UK Chancellor's door over lack of Welsh railway funding at Labour’s Annual Conference, whilst acknowledging again that Wales is currently being short-changed.

Responding to the proposed amendment from the Welsh Labour Government, Heledd Fychan MS, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Finance and Business Manager said:

“Labour have gone from demanding £4bn of HS2 consequentials to only proposing “further discussion” about HS2 funding now that a UK Labour government is in power.

“This is a u-turn of staggering proportions.

“Labour’s language on HS2 is nothing but hot air and proves they just aren’t serious about demanding what is fair and right for Wales.

“Backbench Labour members should stand up and be counted in the debate next Wednesday and call their Labour government colleagues out for prioritising the Labour party in London before the needs of Wales.

“Before the election, we heard for years that things would be better once Labour were in power in both parliaments. It’s evident now how empty those promises were.”