Labour has refused to pledge additional funding for Wales, following the cancellation of the second leg of the HS2 high-speed rail line. The project had been labelled an England and Wales initiative, with a stop at Crewe station intended to serve northern Wales. However, Scotland and Northern Ireland received funding under devolution rules. Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens declined to specify whether Wales would receive a share of funds allocated to the London-to-Birmingham leg, or its estimated £2bn Barnett consequential under the formula used for the first leg.
Stevens instead pledged that a Labour UK government would assess the country’s transport requirements. She added that Labour would work with Welsh ministers to ensure the needs of travellers were prioritised, and described the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election as evidence that Labour could “win in all parts of the country”. However, Stevens’ party has also faced accusations of purging left-wing members.
Beth Winter MP, a supporter of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, has called for a review of candidate selection after missing out to Gerald Jones for the Merthyr Tydfil and Upper Cynon constituency. Stevens argued that the process had been fair.
If elected, the Conservative government has pledged to extend HS2 phase 2a northwards from Birmingham to Crewe. It has also committed to building a Leeds leg. The HS2 project has endured numerous setbacks, amid spiralling costs and complaints regarding ecological damage.
In September, a report commissioned by Prime Minister Boris Johnson concluded that HS2 could not be cancelled, despite its £100bn-plus cost. The report also called for the creation of a new unit to manage HS2, along with other major infrastructure initiatives
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