Levelling Up Funding ‘an insult’ says Eluned Morgan MS

Eluned Morgan has described the decision not to award any levelling up funding to Carmarthenshire in the second round of funding as ‘an insult’.

The Senedd Member for Mid and West Wales made her comments after the United Kingdom government announced £2.1 billion in funding for communities across the UK, with not a penny allocated to west Wales.

The funding scheme had been touted by the Conservatives UK government as a replacement for lost EU-funding which hugely benefitted communities in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. Some of the last remaining EU funding is being used to complete the A40 road scheme west of Whitland at Llanddewi Velfrey.

Eluned Morgan MS said: “The fact that not a single penny has been allocated to support levelling up this time round in Carmarthenshire is an insult.
“Throughout the Brexit debate and after, we were repeatedly told that west Wales would not lose out financially from our exit from the European Union. Wales has lost more than £1 billion in funding.
“Today’s announcement can only mean that local Tory MPs have given up making the case for trying to make up the post Brexit funding shortfall in west Wales. Carmarthenshire deserves better.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said:

“Wales now has less say over less money, and every decision on Levelling Up funding for local projects has been taken in Whitehall.

“The delayed, chaotic process is now costing jobs and other much needed projects are being missed as a result of the lost funds. Today’s news does not come close to meeting the funding promised by UK Ministers in 2019.

“These delays have also loaded extra pressure onto local authorities as well as driving up costs during a period of soaring inflation. This will have consequences on delivery, value for money and economic impact.

“We will continue to work with local government and partners to maximise the funds that are available. Some of the projects supported would have likely won Welsh Government funding, and we will work to ensure positive outcomes where possible, while making the strong case for the funds promised to the people of Wales.”