Transport secretary criticised for greater ‘prize’ claim when quizzed on HS2 funding

We must have a Welsh government that is able to obtain the full £4 billion that is owed to Cymru Wales. With the fullcontrol of our railways: Permanent way and Rolling stock. They, the UK, have taken our taxation, they must deliver. UK Labour has ordered their members in Wales to demand only £350 million and the Welsh Tories will give unspecified money due to Cymru to Network Rail based in UK. This is another example why the UK must be told to leave Cymru and let us become an independent nation.

Labour in the Senedd cannot be believed or trusted it seems to me. They are too tied to self interest and holding the party line given to them by Westminster. It's safe to say, apart from Plaid, Wales has no real political representation anywhere. None is fighting our corner except Plaid.

What chance has our Cymru got when our own Senedd representatives have no fight in them!!! We are owed £4bn not £350m...... GET THE CASH FOR US AND DO WHAT WE PAY YOU FOR!!!!

Transport Secretary Ken Skates is a joke. Why doesn't he admit the UK is two-tier state where England , Scotland & NI are adequately funded and receive their fair share of infrastructure build and Wales gets the scraps off the table. We were told that a Labour government at Westminster would be more favourable to Wales. What a total lie. They are as bad as the Conservatives. If it's lying about returning the Senedd administration powers stolen by Boris Johnson it's robbing us of £4 billion in HS2 consequential that's rightfully ours. Recently we've heard Deputy PM Angela Rayner proclaim with pride that she was soon to devolve powers the North (that's English speaking for the Midlands. Scotland's the true North) but silent on any devolution sought by Welsh Labour over Policing, Criminal & Youth Justice , not even the basic right to create a bank holiday to celebrate Dewi Sant. Nothing? Welsh Labour are powerless to act. Like a dog that's been neutered. No balls. They've proved that now. Worst still. We have another David TC Davies in career politician Jo Stevens. She patronises Wales from her ivory tower and promises riches but we end up with rags. Let's be brutally frank. Welsh Labour not a real Welsh party. Only Plaid Cymru can claim that title. Plaid Cymru is made in Wales. Run from Wales. Has a Welsh leader in Rhun ap Iorwerth and is a party loyal only to Wales and the Welsh people. This cannot be said of Labour, Conservatives , Liberal Democrats , Greens, Reform UK, who all have English leaders and their HQs based in London. They are all parties made in England. And if the Welsh people continually fool themselves that this false United Kingdom is good for Wales can continue to stick their head in the bloody sand or be aware that Wales could and deserves better than second class where England gets the lionshare and Wales a bare cupboard who languages of the Western fringe of Britain slowly going to seed ruled in-perpetuity by Welsh Labour who thinks it has a god given right to rule Wales forever.

I don't know if anyone else suspects that all this talk about Great British Railways means that Trafnidiaeth Cymru as a train operator will be absorbed by this Frankenstein company and disappear. The very name 'Great British Railways' makes me shudder. As much as anything, this kind of absorption would represent a sly undermining of devolution, which is what this new Labour regime in Westminster is about, aided by their faithful little helpers in the Welsh Labour government in the Senedd. The Minister in question it should be remembered, was behind the infamous plan for the Ring of Iron sculpture celebrating the conquest of Cymru that was so ridiculed in 2017. It seems he has learned nothing in the meantime when it comes to championing Cymru's needs.

What's the prize then,because travelling recently from Pontypridd to Cardiff on a Sunday was vile. Our transport system has slowly got worse in the last 25 yrs. £4 billion could do alot

What chance has our Cymru got when our own Senedd representatives have no fight in them!!! We are owed £4bn not £350m...... GET THE CASH FOR US AND PLEASE DO WHAT WE PAY YOU FOR!!!!

Ken States bring characteristically "resolute" again then! I've been told (off the record) that Ken's "real prize" project is to establish a "Thomas the Tank Engine" scenic theme park, established along the Gower coast. It's early days but he has all the models and is busy painting them. Henry is particularly splendid. Well done Ken.

If HS2 to Crewe is back on as recent reports suggest, this still doesn't benefit Wales unless the all electric trains can run along the North Wales mainline (requiring electrification) so there's no need to change at Crewe which loses any time benefit and is actually less convenient than the current direct services. But that's still not good enough to avoid compo for Wales. For a real benefit HS2 trains should continue to Dublin via a tunnel jointly funded by the UK, Ireland and the EU. Because that opens an option to run direct trains from Dublin to Brussels via HS2 and HS1 with a stop at Bangor International. Only then is HS2 worth something to Wales without billions in compensation.