Last week Vaughan Gething was confirmed as the new First Minister of Wales after a vote in the Welsh Parliament, succeeding Mark Drakeford. Whilst I congratulate Mr Gething on this achievement and wish him well as he takes on the task of leading Wales, it is worth taking this opportunity to step back and evaluate Labour’s record in Wales and to ask ourselves if this is something we would really want to replicate in England, as Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly said he aims to do.
As the UK Secretary of State for Transport, I hold many concerns about Labour’s transport policy in Wales. The blanket 20mph speed limits they have imposed across Wales are a confusing and frustrating measure, driven by political ideology, rather than the best interests of motorists. Given the Forest of Dean’s proximity to Wales, I suspect many of my constituents would have felt the effects of this barmy measure on their morning commute. The Welsh Government’s own analysis highlights that there is up to a £9 billion cost burden to the Welsh economy as a result of this measure. They additionally risk undermining adherence to 20mph limits where they are most needed – for example around schools – and my department’s research shows that, in some cases, they can increase pollution. Given this evidence, it is even more concerning that the Green Leader of the Forest of Dean District Council thinks this is something that should be brought into our area.
I would also strongly encourage Mr Gething to revoke the Welsh Government’s ill-advised moratorium on road building, which has only served to frustrate vitally needed infrastructure projects aimed at reducing congestion and preventing accidents. Such projects include the much-needed bypass to address the build-up of traffic in Chepstow which, if implemented, would significantly improve the journey times of many living in the southern part of the Forest of Dean constituency.
Labour’s failures are not just limited to transport policy. In education, recent OECD PISA rankings have seen Wales plummet down the international education leaderboards, ranking 33rd in the world for outcomes in reading and maths and 34th in science. This is in comparison to the education system in England, run by the Conservatives, which ranked 13th internationally in reading and science and 11th in Maths.
If all of this was not bad enough Wales has the highest business rates of anywhere in Britain, made worse by the Welsh Government’s recent decision to reduce business rates support from 75% to 40%. UKHospitality, the lead trade body for the hospitality industry, estimates that this would leave an average Welsh pub nearly £7,000 worse off in comparison to their English counterparts.
Vaughan Gething has a challenging role ahead of him and I hope he uses this opportunity to revisit some of the most damaging decisions made under his predecessor.
This column was first published in The Forester newspaper.