Skip to main content

Lack of Innovation Funding Highlights Empty Promises for Wales

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have hit out at the UK Government after it emerged that Wales will not receive any of the UK's ‘Innovation Accelerator’ investment funding, despite the fact regions in both England and Scotland are set to receive funding.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS

The ‘Innovation Accelerator programme, outlined in the UK Government‘s Levelling Up’ White Paper is designed to catalyse innovation clusters and spread the wealth and new industry outside the South East of England.

The UK Government confirmed Wales would not be part of the innovation accelerator programme following a question to Lord Callanan by Welsh Liberal Democrat Peer Baroness Jenny Randerson.

 

 


                                                         Baroness Jenny Randerson


The scheme will see £100 million of investment from private-public-academic partnerships given to Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and Glasgow City-Regions to be used to Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and Glasgow City-Region to try and kick start a ‘fourth industrial revolution' and see UK manufacturing compete with economies such as Israel and South Korea.

However, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticized the Conservatives for not including Wales in the scheme, stating that it shows Welsh Conservative promises of ‘levelling up’ are nothing more than empty words.

Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said:

“We have yet another piece of evidence that Wales is at the absolute bottom of the Conservative's priority list when it comes to levelling up for our economy.

“Wales has historically been at the centre of UK industry, and for it not to be included in this effort to kick start a new industrial revolution is a disgrace. Various parts of Wales have the skills, educational facilities and R&D institutions needed to make a success of these projects should they be given the chance.

“While part of the EU, Wales was given a much better deal in both the amount of development funding it received and in how we would be able to spend the funds.

“What we have continually seen from the Conservatives over the last few years is a disregard for Wales, with repeated failures to invest in our economy and infrastructure.

“Welsh Conservative MPs urgently need to attempt to make their voices heard and fight for investment in Wales because as things stand, it appears they are doing a pretty shabby job so far.”

 

Labels:
Location: Wales, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Zealand Trade Deal Will Damage Rural Communities

Responding to the news that the UK Government has concluded the signing of a trade deal with New Zealand, removing trade barriers between the two countries, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have said the deal will cause damage to rural communities and the Welsh agricultural industry. Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Senedd Member for Mid & West Wales Jane Dodds said: "The UK Government has negotiated a trade agreement that will actively damage Welsh farming communities and will bring next to no tangible benefits to our local economies.   "The Conservatives have proven that they are utterly unable to negotiate trade deals that boost the UK economy and unfortunately this agreement is no exception. The economic benefits are a drop in the ocean, and they will do nothing to mitigate the damage from the red tape and paperwork caused by Boris Johnson's shambolic EU trade deal. "Instead of delivering Global Britain, this Government is selling Welsh farmers...
Post a Comment
Read more

,Lib Dems demand Cardiff Council removes Russian investments

Lib Dems demand Cardiff Council removes Russian investments Following the horrific news of Russia invading Ukraine, Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Rhys Taylor has written to Cardiff Council to ask that it’s pension fund sell any shares it may hold in companies that have invested in Russia. “Like so many other local people, I am sickened by what is happening on the streets of Ukraine and our own pension fund should make its feelings clear by divesting any assets it holds in companies with Russian investments. “I believe our council’s pension fund should also take a stand, and if it does hold any shares in Russian companies – or those who have invested in Russia - to divest without delay. “Others have taken action – the Church of England is divesting its £20 million in shareholdings in Russian companies and BP is selling its 19.75% stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft, and Shell is divesting from Gazprom. I encourage local government pension schemes to divest any shares they hol...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jane Dodds - Aberpergwm Coal Mine Expansion Must be Stopped

  he Welsh Liberal Democrats have reiterated their opposition to the expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine in Neath Port Talbot Council. Addressing a protest in front of the Senedd Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds stated that if we are to stand any hope of tackling climate change before it’s too late, the coal must be left in the ground.   The protest in front of the Senedd in Cardiff saw multiple Welsh climate groups attend.   The expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine has been at the centre of a row between the UK and Welsh Governments, with the Welsh Government claiming it does not have the legal authority to block the mine’s expansion, while the UK Coal Authority has insisted that the Welsh Government could in fact stop the development.   The new license, which was approved by the Coal Authority in January will allow Aberpergwm Mine to extract another forty million tonnes of coal. The development could release up to 1.17 million tonnes of very strong g...
Post a Comment
Read more