Budget a missed opportunity for Wales 

Budget a missed opportunity for Wales

The Chancellor missed a golden opportunity to invest in Wales and deliver equitable growth across the UK, preferring instead to throw money down a Brexit black hole.

Instead of investing in Wales through the Swansea Tidal Lagoon or delivering rail electrification to Swansea the Chancellor has chosen to waste £3bn on a Tory hard Brexit and planning for a no deal Brexit the Government foolishly refuse to rule out.

The Chancellor also failed to take meaningful action on Universal Credit or the public sector pay cap, preferring instead to simply pay lip service to the suffering these policies are causing.

Welsh Lib Dem Leader Jane Dodds commented;

“This budget presents a missed opportunity for Wales. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have presented an ambitious vision for Wales, it is disappointing that the Chancellor lacks this ambition.

Instead of investing in making Wales a world leader in Tidal Energy by giving the green light to the Swansea Tidal Lagoon or giving South Wales the transport investment it needs the Chancellor decided to throw £3bn into a Brexit black hole. It’s clear only the Welsh Liberal Democrats have the ambition and ideas needed to ensure opportunity for Wales.”

“As one of the most deprived regions of the UK and even the EU, Wales has suffered more than most from austerity. With the Chancellor failing to take meaningful action on Universal Credit and the public sector pay cap and growth set to be much slower than expected, this suffering will only continue.

The Chancellor needed to immediately end the roll out of Universal Credit to prevent rising child poverty and homelessness and end the public sector pay cap to end the scandal of public sector workers relying on food banks to survive. It is bitterly disappointing the Chancellor has failed on both counts.”

“This budget is yet another example of the crippling damage Brexit is already doing to the Welsh Economy. Instead of investing in public services or vital infrastructure projects, the Chancellor is spending £3bn preparing for a disastrous no deal Brexit his party foolishly refuse to rule out. The Welsh people deserve to have the final say on the Brexit deal and a chance to choose an exit from Brexit.”