Wales' great train robbery continues.
Boris Johnson was challenged during PMQs about how the UK Government was treating HS2 as an England and Wales project despite no track at all being laid in Wales.
This has cost Wales over £5bn.
His response was woeful.
[Thread]
Boris Johnson was challenged during PMQs about how the UK Government was treating HS2 as an England and Wales project despite no track at all being laid in Wales.
This has cost Wales over £5bn.
His response was woeful.
[Thread]
He was asked about the issue by Newport East MP Jessica Morden @jessicamordenmp.
Boris Johnson retorted: "I am afraid she has completely failed to look at what Sir Peter Hendy has set out in his Union Connectivity Review, a fantastic agenda for change and improvement particularly in Wales...
....and particularly on the North Welsh corridor where I think the railway links deserve to be improved and will be improved under this government."
Right let's break this utter (and likely deliberate) missing of the point.
Right let's break this utter (and likely deliberate) missing of the point.
The Prime Minister's response fails to acknowledge the real issues facing Wales.
A point I have made previously:
A point I have made previously:
https://twitter.com/WillHayCardiff/status/1465371975002505231
The Prime Minister's point was also weakened by the fact that he referenced Sir Peter Hendy's report.
Unfortunately for the PM, this report explicitly pointed out that Wales' transport networks needed a radical overhaul far beyond the dubious benefits of HS2.
Unfortunately for the PM, this report explicitly pointed out that Wales' transport networks needed a radical overhaul far beyond the dubious benefits of HS2.
Here is one example from the report: "On the rail network, Cardiff is well connected to
London but is currently the UK’s least well directly
connected major city, with fewer direct services
to other major UK cities"
London but is currently the UK’s least well directly
connected major city, with fewer direct services
to other major UK cities"
The PM also doesn't acknowledge that one of the reason for Wales' crap railways is years of historic underfunding.
Analysis from the @WalesGovernance on cumulative spending per person on rail enhancements showed how much Wales had been missing out over the years.
Analysis from the @WalesGovernance on cumulative spending per person on rail enhancements showed how much Wales had been missing out over the years.
You can read the full issues with the UK Government approach to rail funding in their thread here:
https://twitter.com/WillHayCardiff/status/1465371954865659907
The issue of Wales getting shafted over rail funding was also raised in the Senedd. Plaid MS Delyth Jewell @DelythJewellAM called for a debate into the fund of Welsh rail infrastructure.
https://twitter.com/DelythJewellAM/status/1466038795342696448?s=20
It is good that this issue is being given more prominence but we simply must not accept Wales being the only UK country not to properly benefit from HS2.
This sort of funding will likely not come along again in most of our life times. We must not let ourselves miss out.
This sort of funding will likely not come along again in most of our life times. We must not let ourselves miss out.
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