‘Government has broken cash promises to Wales’
WALES’ climate minister has accused the UK Government of breaking its promises with “perfidious” actions as the row continues over how the country’s EU funding will be replaced.
Julie James MS hit out at the Conservatives during a Plenary session at the Senedd yesterday, calling the party “perfidious” and claiming they had U-turned on the commitments made to Wales as part of Brexit.
Her comments came in response to a question from Tory MS Janet Finch-Saunders on carbon reduction measures in Wales.
The Aberconwy representative raised concerns about the Welsh Government’s commitment to peatland restoration, and said the £5.7m to be spent on the project over five years “lacks ambition”.
In her furious reply over video link, Ms James said: “I do constantly admire the sheer brass neck that you have of constantly telling the Welsh Government they’re not spending enough money in light of your government’s promise to not a penny less than we were getting from the European Union, in leaving the European Union.
“While completely flying in the face of every single commitment that your government and every politician in it, including you sitting there on those benches, made to Wales.
“I’ll start by saying I’m taking no lectures from you whatsoever about the amount of money the Welsh Government spends on anything until you put right the amount of money that’s missing from the Welsh budget as a result of the perfidious actions of the Conservative government in Westminster, collaborated with and by yourselves on that bench.”
She added: “If Janet Finch-Saunders is truly concerned about this perhaps she will take that message back to her government and get them to actually put their money where their mouth is.”
Ms Finch-Saunders could be seen laughing and holding her hands up as she listened to Ms James’ answer.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced £46m will be given to projects in Wales as part of a pilot Community Renewal Fund designed to replace EU funding in poorer areas of the UK.
The fund is separate from the Levelling Up Fund, which councils have to bid for.
There are also plans for a Shared Prosperity Fund to be launched next year.
But the Welsh Government has said the UK Government has not lived up to its repeated assurances during the Brexit debate that Wales would not lose “a single penny” of EU funding should the UK leave the bloc.
It said the amount of money now on offer is a fraction of the £375m in structural funds Wales received from the EU every year, and the way the new funds are set up means the country will have less control over how they will be spent.