Relief road plan a ‘Tory power-grab’

ATTEMPTS to bypass the Welsh Government on the M4 relief road seek to mask the Government’s underfunding of Wales, while creating poverty, undermining the response to coronavirus and applying a 1970s solution in favour of building back better, according to one Welsh MP.

In recent days, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Wales have both suggested that the UK Government may look to build a M4 relief road, said Swansea West MP Geraint Davies.

Plans for the £1.5bn road were scrapped last year by First Minister Mark Drakeford after declaring a climate emergency.

The recently published UK Internal Market Bill, if passed into law, will give the UK Government power to spend on otherwise devolved areas such as infrastructure and economic development.

Mr Davies points out that

Conservative governments have failed to invest in Welsh rail and energy infrastructure, despite being responsible for the policy area; and that a power-grab would result in underfunding and hardship elsewhere in Wales, undermine the fight against Covid-19 and fail to build back better and greener.

Mr Davies said: “This blatant power-grab by the Tories seeks to undermine devolution and is not beneficial to Wales.

“Consecutive Conservative governments have failed for decades to invest in Welsh infrastructure, particularly in regards to rail, despite already having the powers and responsibilities in this area. Wales has 5% of the UK population and 11% of the rail lines, yet received less than 1.5% of the investment.

“Welsh Labour are looking to reverse this lack of investment with the development of the South Wales Metro and supporting the proposal for the creation of the Swansea Bay metro. If we are to be serious about protecting our environment and tackling the climate emergency, we need 21st-century solutions. The coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed our working patterns, with a significant increase in home working, and therefore, we now have an opportunity to break the over-reliance of the private car and invest in affordable, reliable public transport.

“The best way to ease congestion on the M4 is by enabling more home working and to invest in faster, more frequent electrified trains.

“A M4 relief road would encourage traffic, withdraw funding from tackling coronavirus and poverty.

“At a time we face a pandemic resurgence, a bad Brexit deal and a depression from the withdrawal of furlough, this is the last thing Wales needs.

“We should build back greener with digital and rail infrastructure so we can work from home and breathe cleaner air.”