SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, says motorists, businesses and communities are paying the price for a Welsh Labour Government which has adopted an increasingly anti-motorist and anti-infrastructure agenda.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure was commenting during the Welsh Conservatives Debate on Transport connectivity.
The Welsh Conservatives brought forward the debate calling on the Welsh Labour Government to support calls to restore the default speed limit to 30mph, build an M4 relief road, upgrade the A55, dual the A40, deliver a third Menai crossing, and unfreeze all road projects.
Mr Rowlands said: “Across Wales, motorists, businesses and communities are paying the price for a Welsh Labour Government which has adopted an increasingly anti-motorist and anti-infrastructure agenda.
“We’ve seen the default 20mph speed limits imposed against huge public opposition, and the largest petition that this Senedd has ever seen; the vital M4 relief road scrapped after £150 million of taxpayers’ money had already been spent; road projects frozen; infrastructure left to crumble.
“And the result: Wales has the lowest wages in Britain, lagging productivity, and road networks that are no longer fit for a modern economy.
“We need to move away from a philosophy of restriction and return to a philosophy of enabling. The fact is unemployment has risen every month since Labour has come into power.
“Labour has always left office with unemployment higher than when they came into office, and unfortunately, if you think Labour are bad, Plaid Cymru are even worse.
“Good transport connectivity is not a luxury, but a foundation of economic prosperity. It underpins our ability to attract investment, support businesses, create jobs and connect people to opportunity.
“Yet, under Labour for 27 years, propped up by Plaid Cymru, Wales has been systematically and literally slowed down.”
Mr Rowlands urged all member across the chamber to support the motion, however, Plaid and Labour voted against, while Reform and the Lib Dem did not even vote.
