'HS2 all over again': Oxford - Cambridge rail project classed as 'England and Wales'

London Labour are determined to gift the Senedd to Reform.

Well, knock me down with a feather duster. I'm really shocked....NOT! Add this to Keir's love affair with nuclear weapons and we can see where the spending priorities are (and they certainly ain't west of Offa's). But don't worry, that nice Mr Farage is coming through the Brynglas Tunnel and he's going to spend lots and lots of cash in our towns and villages....NOT!

There's only one party who would prevent this from happening and it isn't Reform.

Henry Tufnell the new Labour MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire was appalled with the west Wales rail service after he had to use it to get to Westminster. His views were on his social media and in the local press. I wonder how he will respond to this piece of news?

HS2 all over again. How much more of this do we take? A £5bn rail project in the heart of England—badged as England and Wales. Two Labour governments, one at each end of the M4, yet Wales is left out of the conversation again. We are a nation, not a region. Wales deserves control. Wales deserves independence.

I can highly recommend Tom Nairn's book "The Breakup of Britain" to UK ministers. He proposes a well evidenced thesis that nationalisms arose in Europe in the 19thC that led to a spate of new nation states, all driven by a common theme: economic inequality. He examined Victorian Britain by the same metric and found that Scotland and Wales were net economic beneficiaries of Empire. However, he found that the same two nations suffered economic inequality as deindustrialisation took hold in the 20thC. Again, the same pattern of nationalidm arose. Keep it up and the result will be the same.

I pose an open question to any Westminster politician: why is it not an all-Britain project, funding-wise, as it is one network spanning one island? Could it be that the SNP would actually kick up a stink over it and so you daren't try?

"Wales doesn’t receive a Barnett consequential from UK government spending on rail infrastructure in England because it’s not a fully devolved matter." Ah, I see. That's us told then ...

Out! Now!!

When your party is in government, "fighting for" or "making the case" just won't cut it.

The UK Labour Government’s decision to designate the proposed new Oxford - Cambridge railway an England – Wales project is absolutely outrageous, on par with the previous Tory government’s identical classification of HS2. It is a bare-faced lie, of course – flagrant and grotesque cheating and deceit and shows the utter contempt that the Westminster Labour government has for Wales. With an enormous 84% of the Parliamentary Labour Party being MPs representing English constituencies and Wales’ weak independence movement no threat to the UK, we can expect a lot more of it.  

As an infrastructure project, it's a great one. It'll pay for itself many times over, and the Oxford-Cambridge arc has a much bigger GVA than the whole of Wales, despite having a smaller population. To be blunt, and ever so simple, that region subsidises public services in Wales. The bone of contention is that it's classified as England and Wales project because the railway infrastructure is non-devolved in Wales

First of all it was Tories who insult our nation now its liebour no difference how much more are we going to take being treated like dirt we need to get of this Union

It's a disbenefit for Wales because it makes the "Golden Triangle" more attractive to investors which makes other areas relatively less attractive without similar investment. In other words, London gets richer at everyone else's expense, again.

Only a clearcut vote for Plaid Cymru at next year's Senedd election can finally frighten Westminster into treating Wales with a tiny bit of respect.

For Labour, see Tories. What's Eluned, the patsy for Starmer got to say?

For Wales see England. When will this nonsense stop!

Have Labour no shame once defrauding the Wales but now twice in a row.Totally brazen and shows no respect for Wales and it's people !

The HS2 designation of an England Wales project, although a bad deal for Wales on the whole, made some small sense as though it didn't go into Wales it did release capacity at places that Welsh trains go to (Birmingham New Street, Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly) or offers an alternative to using non-HS2 trains that go to Holyhead from London Euston for example, adding seats for people who want to use this route. Then it got cut back to just the first phase and the benefits were even less to Wales as this lost the capacity release at Manchester and possibly Crewe as well. I cannot see any Welsh benefits from East West Rail at all as things stand so this designation is even worse. Although as a much smaller project we are losing less, it's still not the way we should be treated.

The line does not unlock any capacity at places that Welsh trains currently go to that I am aware of, which was at least the case for HS2. I cannot see the logic in the designation of England and Wales for East West Rail at all at the moment.

But that's the debate. Why should matters be devolved in some UK nations but not in others? It smacks of discrimination.

Happening under a Labour UK government. This is the Barnett formula that is clearly NOT paying dividends to Wales according thanks to Britnats. Unionism continues to rob us of development and growth while telling us to be thankful for it.

What we need in Wales is investing in greater north-south links. We need to rebuild the rail line from Carmarthen to Aberystwyth, and from Criccieth to Bangor. The UK's over-centralised economy in favour of London has harmed Wales for too long. The Beeching cuts of the 1960s deprived our nation of vital transport links. We need control of our own infrastructure projects. Our economy is suffering because we are being treated as second-class nation.

Section 184(c) of Schedule 7a the Government of Wales Act 2006 reserves planning of railways, but does not reserve railways that start, end and remain in Wales. In other words: Improving the rail infrastructure of the South Wales Valleys, or the Conwy Valley Railway are devolved matters because they are entirely within Wales. However, the Holyhead - Crewe, or the Swansea - London lines, are not devolved. Lets replicate this logic to England. HS2 is entirely within England, as is the Oxford to Cambridge service therefore should be designated as such an England only matter as per the above reservation. This sums up exactly what is wrong with the Union. The UK Government wears two hats as both the Government of England and the Government of the United Kingdom at the same time, creating a conflict of interest.

You are correct (no matter how many thumbs down you get!). The decision not to accept the devolution of rail infrastructure 20 years ago is the issue here - even if the “England and Wales” classification is dodgy. Westminster is not going to compensate Welsh government for a wrong choice they made. Why should they? About time our politicians stopped posturing, accepted responsibility and moved on.

Nodweddiadol o Lywodraeth Llundain. Gorau po gyntaf y daw Cymru yn annibynol. Rydym yn cael ein trin yn ddinasyddion ail ddosbarth

If EWR project are classified as England and Wales scheme then why not to create new operator for get long-distance train service from Carmarthen/Swansea to Norwich/Great Yarmouth with calling at Llanelli, Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot Parkway, Bridgend, Cardiff Central, Newport, Bristol Parkway, Swindon, Oxford, Bicester Village, Bletchley HL, Stewartby, Bedford Midland, St Neots, Cambridge South, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely, Thetford and Norwich. Direct train without changes in London. That's for example like that as above. That can cover 'England and Wales' scheme. Ex-RAIL Librarian.

This is taking the proverbial. If this slur doesn't get through to those deluded Labour supporters in Wales that Conservative Keir Starmer and blue Labour are Anti-Wales I don't know what will?