8. Welsh Conservatives Debate: The transport network

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:55 pm on 22 June 2022.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 4:55, 22 June 2022

Diolch, Llywydd. I can’t resist saying that it’s a shame for Janet that the people of Wales keep re-electing the Welsh Labour Government. A fact that she seems to always pass by.

Llywydd, I welcome the opportunity to respond to this debate. Although, in a week when the railways have been brought to a standstill, airports brought to a standstill and petrol prices are on the increase again, I wasn’t sure whether the Conservatives had meant to table this against their own UK Government, who clearly have no vision of any sort and absolutely no direction.

The Welsh Government, by contrast, has an immensely ambitious vision for the transport network in Wales, and the changes that need to happen to be fit for the climate emergency—a climate emergency that the Tories are quick to acknowledge in theory, but never, ever support in practice. It is a vision made increasingly difficult by decades of underinvestment from the UK Government and a consistent rejection of our requests for devolution. It's really interesting that a Tory Member of this Senedd thinks that funding for Wales is not part of his job. That just explains such a lot about the situation that we’re in.

Our transport strategy, 'Llwybr Newydd', sets out the path that we need to take, but implementation of that strategy requires—