“Funding allocated to Wales should be spent by government of Wales” – Plaid slams “UK Shared Prosperity Fund”

Scheme “set up to fail” Welsh communities – Plaid’s Liz Saville Roberts MP

The newly announced “UK Shared Prosperity Fund” will fail Welsh communities, Plaid Cymru has said.

UK Ministers have today announced details of a new Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) to replace EU aid Wales used to receive.

Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts MP said the new funding failed to match original EU funding and would leave Wales £1bn worse off and that the Tories had broken their 2019 election promise that the new programme would be “fairer” and “better tailored to Wales’ economy”.

Under the EU aid system, the Welsh government administered the cash in agreement with the European Commission.

Under the new scheme, local authorities will be encouraged to work together on regional committees to decide how the money will be used – with the Welsh Government effectively bypassed on spending decisions.

The Plaid Cymru MP said that funding allocated to Wales should be spent by the government of Wales – not by Westminster and “out-of-touch Tory Ministers”.

Responding to the newly announced UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts MP said

“Just like decisions about Wales should be made in Wales, funding allocated to Wales should be spent by the government of Wales – not by Westminster and its out-of-touch Tory Ministers.

“The Tories promised in 2019 to replace EU cash with a programme that was ‘fairer’ and better tailored to Wales’ economy. They have broken that promise.

“Already below what was promised and failing to even match EU funding, this so-called Shared Prosperity Fund will leave Wales and our communities £1bn worse off.

“The Westminster Government has also resisted increasing regional support in line with the unprecedented inflation they are overseeing – which is exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis and squeezing household budgets, as well as those of our local authorities and the Welsh Government.

“And where EU funding to Wales was allocated to communities by our government according to need, this post-EU regional funding regime depends on the ‘input’ of and advocacy by MPs at a time when the Westminster Government is cutting the number of Welsh MPs by a fifth.

“By dividing Wales into 22 separate economic regions, reducing the number of MPs, and cutting corners with funding, Westminster is setting the scheme up to fail.

“This is another bitter reminder that Westminster will never work for Wales. It’s more important than ever before that we elect strong and local Plaid Cymru voices in communities across Wales on the 5th of May.