Millar quits role as Tories cost expansion at £75m over five years

A CONSERVATIVE MS has resigned his role on the Committee on Senedd Reform in response to the changes proposed by the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

Shadow Minister for the Constitution Conservative MS Darren Millar accused Labour and Plaid Cymru of undermining the committe’s work.

“It is disappointing that the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru have sought to thwart the work of the Welsh Parliament’s Senedd Reform Committee by issuing this statement today,” he said. “While the Welsh Conservatives have always been clear that we oppose plans to increase the number of politicians in Wales, we have accepted that there is a mandate for change and, for that reason, we have played a constructive role in the work of the Senedd Reform Committee to date. Today’s statement suggests that the Labour and Plaid leaders want to strongarm the committee and dictate its conclusions rather than to allow the committee to complete its independent work. We joined this process in good faith, but it looks like that was misplaced.”

It came as Welsh Conservatives pegged the cost of Senedd expansion at £75m over the next five years.

Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative leader, said: “Wales does not need more politicians in Cardiff Bay – we need more teachers, doctors, dentists, and nurses. With residents across the country facing cost-of-living pressures, the last thing they need is to be footing the bill – expected to be more than £75m over five years at least – for Labour and Plaid’s pet project.”

He continued: “Ministers should be spending that money on tackling the big issues facing Wales.

“Now is the time to fix our broken NHS, get the economy fired up, and boost our education system, but sadly Labour and Plaid have got their priorities completely skewed.”