Plaid Cymru criticise PM’s ‘pointless 140-mile cross-border journey’ to Wales

Boris Johnson visits Wales to talk about England’s lockdown

Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, has today (Wednesday 17 February) criticised the Prime Minister’s decision to travel 140 miles from London to Cwmbran, Gwent to speak about measures relating to England only.

Speaking in a vaccination centre in Cwmbran, the Prime Minister said that England’s lockdown will be done in “stages” and hinted that hospitality will be one of the last things to reopen. England’s plan to exit lockdown will be announced on Monday 22 February, while the next Welsh Government review will take place on Friday 19 February.

Liz Saville Roberts MP said that the “pointless 140-mile cross-border journey” to a centre in Wales to speak about matters relating to England is “deliberately creating confusion about lockdown measures at a crucial stage in the pandemic.”

The Prime Minister was also asked about his previous comments about devolution being a “disaster” – to which he responded that it had not been an “overall” disaster.

Ms Saville Roberts said that the Prime Minister’s “lukewarm defence” of devolution is undermined by his own actions, having overseen the “biggest Westminster power grab since the advent of devolution”.

She added that Wales deserves better than to be misinformed by Boris Johnson’s “blustery publicity machine”.

Liz Saville Roberts MP said:

“This was a pointless 140-mile cross-border journey to Wales to make public comment on matters relating to England only. He must urgently explain why he saw it appropriate to set about deliberately creating confusion about lockdown measures at a crucial stage in the pandemic.

“Mr Johnson’s lukewarm defence of devolution is undermined by his actions. This is a Prime Minister who has overseen the biggest Westminster power grab since the advent of devolution and has consistently refused to support Welsh lockdown measures with the financial support needed to make them work.’

“After a year of consistently overpromising and underdelivering, the people of Wales deserve better than to be misinformed by his blustery publicity machine.”

Ends.