South Gwent's Labour AM's and the Con Dem Council Group in Newport have had a pop at Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Deputy First Minister and Minister of Transport over the on-going delays to the completion of the much called for rail-link between Ebbw Vale and Newport. The delays to the completion of the rail project have been aggravated by a combination of possible cuts to the Network Rail budget and almost certain cuts to the National Assembly budget.
While the delays are unacceptable and the project needs to be completed as quickly as possible it is a tad rich for local Labour AM's to try to make hay be blaming Plaid when they are part of a Labour - Plaid coalition Government. No doubt working on the assumption that no one will notice. It is also worth noting that the Plaid - Labour coalition has been in existence since 2007, why was the project not finished before? when there was a Labour Government in power in Westminster?
There is a certain kind of low politics which the less able indulge in, which revolves around cheap shots, so you can understand why the Labour AM's are having a pop. However, it's pretty rich for the Con Dem (Tory - Lib Dem) Council to have a go, especially when their Government in Westminster is about to embark on a series of public sector spending cuts which will amongst other things hack the hell out of public services, not to mention lead to the cancellation of many infrastructure projects including the planned electrification of the mainline from Swansea to London and seriously cut the Network Rail budget into the bargain.
I have to agree. The acid test for people like Rosemary Butler would be that if they announced the service coming in three months time after reconsideration; would she praise IWJ for doing so? Or the Labour 'led' government?
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