Prime Minister gives “personal commitment” to look at £14bn Welsh rail pledge, says First Minister

The Prime Minister has given a “personal commitment to look at” Wales’s £14bn rail pledge, according to First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth, a day after Welsh ministers called the rail money in the UK Budget “an insult”.

The two met in Glasgow on Friday after a meeting of the National Economic Council.

In a statement afterwards, Mr ap Iorwerth said: “On rail funding, I was pleased to hear the Prime Minister’s personal commitment to look at the £14bn pledge, and I also raised the need for the Treasury to act with urgency to enable the Welsh Government to press ahead with our Cynnal weekly child payment pilot to support the poorest families.”

The UK Government’s own account of the meeting does not mention rail.

On Thursday, the Welsh Government said it had asked for £1bn of the £14bn commitment in this week’s Budget and received 3 per cent.

Deputy Minister for Transport Mark Hooper said at the time: “This figure is an insult to the people of Wales.”

The Welsh Government told our sister site Deeside.com that the planned station at Deeside Industrial Park is not affected and is still expected to be finished by the end of 2027, subject to final approval from the UK Government.

Mr ap Iorwerth also said there was agreement that Wales’s borrowing powers needed to change.

He said: “There was an encouraging consensus that the fiscal and borrowing powers which have for so long put Wales at a disadvantage compared with other UK nations must be revised as a matter of urgency. I welcome the Prime Minister’s comments that this is now a matter of how and when.”

He said: “I also reiterated the point that further devolution within Wales is a matter for the Senedd and only the Senedd.”

The UK Government said the First Minister had agreed to start a process to explore how each government could contribute to “regional empowerment, reindustrialisation and achieving good growth in every postcode”.

It said this would be a “policy sprint” led by No10 North, involving officials from both governments.

Mr ap Iorwerth also said he urged the Prime Minister to pursue rejoining the EU single market and customs union.

The next meeting of the National Economic Council will be held in Cardiff in spring 2027.