There were an awful lot of “thank yous” during the speeches of Sir Keir Starmer and Eluned Morgan as they visited Transport for Wales’ Taff’s Well depot. The two political leaders thanked each other, the staff, their respective teams, their counterparts, it was the epitome of politeness. The number of cameras pointed at them, during this highly choreographed visit, was a very obvious reminder their every move was under scrutiny.
Visits like this are planned in minute detail, who will stand where, are there any potential banana skins – literal or otherwise, who speaks first, who says what.
And the relationship between key Labour figures from London and their Welsh counterparts has been far from smooth sailing for two administrations which wear the same rosette. Eluned Morgan, Wales’ First Minister, has had her spats with Jo Stevens, the Welsh secretary. The First Minister has also hit the headlines for failing to back the Prime Minister when asked, repeatedly, on national radio.
Today, while clearly on her best behaviour, there were a couple of notable quips. When part of a group Q&A Eluned Morgan couldn’t resist a dig at English-only policy differences.
Directly addressing UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander from the platform, she said: “I don’t think that’s the case in England, is it”, when she explained free bus passes are available from the age of 60 here in Wales.
It would be no surprise to know that Keir Starmer’s awful popularity figures aren’t wildly different in Wales. When you talk to Labour activists and campaigners they admit the UK Labour record is harming them on the doorsteps (along with Welsh Labour’s record).
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‘Don’t go taking the glory for our stuff’
While Eluned Morgan did not call for his resignation a few days ago – as her Scottish counterpart did – she has made it clear that he would only be welcome to campaign with her in Wales if he brought some “goodies”. It seems promises of £14 billion and lots of good headlines today seems to fit that bill. But, she knows she has to be able to carve out her own policy successes to stand apart.
As the pair stood in their bright orange jackets and looked around one of the depot trains, as the Prime Minister made a comment about the new trains they were on, she quipped that they were a Welsh Government success story, not a UK one, and not his to take credit for.
“Don’t go taking the glory for our stuff,” she told the Prime Minister, to laughs from the assembled staff.
A throwaway line, maybe, but it tells us a lot about her political campaign – that Wales is different to the wider UK administration, and that what her government has done here is different to London. She called it her “Red Welsh Way” before today.
She doesn’t want judging on fuel payments or inheritance tax, but on new trains and the thousands of potholes she keeps saying have been filled. Ensure our latest news and sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
No doubt £14bn is a good sweetener, but there is a hugely important caveat – it is a potential £14bn.
But there are questions about that £14bn, which despite a morning surrounded by political types who were very excited about this deal, that isn’t any clearer leaving the biggest question? Will it ever happen?
People may remember the pledge from Rishi Sunak to spend £1bn on electrifying the North Wales mainline. That was dismissed as nothing more than a seven-word promise on a conference stage which had not been discussed at the necessary levels for it to be anything near likely to happen.
We know in March 2017 fellow Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May personally took the decision to cancel plans to electrify the line to Swansea.
So, yes, this is a costed document, with detail. Yes it is something a Prime Minister backs, we know today, his Welsh secretary and the First Minister stood and said it would happen, but we’re cynical, with good reason. Policy documents are one thing, cold hard cash is another.
The cost of the things in Transport for Wales’ new glossy document is £14bn. The 43 things listed on page 19 of it cover the whole of Wales.
Yet so far, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, has committed £445m of money to Welsh rail. Of that, documents released at that time showed £300m was earmarked for mainline railway projects over four years, the rest for enhancing the Core Valleys lines and £90m for other projects. We are told extra money will be made available soon for Cardiff Parkway, above and beyond the money pledged last June, each announcement like that – the hope from Labour will be – to chip away at that nagging cynicism we have about rail.
The rest, we were told by various people during our visit to Taffs Well, come in subsequent comprehensive spending reviews.
Given a government sets out its spending reviews every few years, and the next general election has to take place by August 15, 2029, there is a lot riding on Labour remaining in power, especially given the way the polls currently say they will perform at that election.
Rail, despite the protestations from many in Wales, is not devolved, so big announcements like this are dependent on the UK Government digging deep into its pockets.
If it happens, it is clearly good news for Wales, if not, well…
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