“The Labour party can’t have it both ways on HS2” says Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS

The Leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, has today called out “Labour inconsistency” on the money that is owed to Wales from the doomed HS2 project.

Mr ap Iorwerth referred to a written response from Welsh Government, in which the Council General acknowledged that the decision to cancel the Birmingham to Manchester HS2 route “makes the case even clearer that HS2 is an England only project” and that the Welsh Government is giving considering to all options available to challenge the decision, “including legal avenues.”

However, when challenged by Mr ap Iorwerth today (Tuesday 10 October) in the Senedd, First Minister Mark Drakeford refused to say that the Welsh Government would pursue a legal challenge against a Starmer-led Labour government.

Leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, said:

“The Labour party can’t have it both ways. They can’t say on one hand that the Conservative UK Government should pay Wales the compensation its owed as a result of HS2, and at the same time say a Labour Government should be allowed to weight up different spending priorities. And they can’t threaten potential legal action against the Tory Government whilst refusing to commit to taking a Labour Government to court on the same issue.

“We know we can’t trust the Tories in Westminster. Their commitment last week to electrify the north Wales line unravelled as quickly as the Prime Minister took to find the back of a fag packet to scribble the original promise on.

“The Labour party and the First Minister are signalling that a Labour UK Government would also prefer to just talk a good game rather than act in the best interests of economic justice for Wales.

“Plaid Cymru will always stand up for fairness for Wales over HS2.”