AREAS in Wales north of the Brecon Beacons have been “starved of investment” and are resentful of the Welsh Labour Government, a Conservative MP has claimed.

Clwyd South member Simon Baynes made the comments during a general debate on Welsh Affairs where arguments over Wales' lost European Union funding and replacement cash promised - but yet to be delivered - by the UK Government were heard.

Before Brexit, areas of Wales received more EU structural funding than almost anywhere else in the UK.

Baynes welcomed UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund as part of a “renewed vigour” of investment in north and mid Wales.

During the debate, usually held each year to coincide with St David’s Day on March 1, there were also concerns from Labour MP Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon) that the fund could be used to “dismantle devolution”.

Mr Baynes told MPs: “In Clwyd South we have historically been starved of investment by the Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff Bay, but we have seen renewed vigour by the UK Conservative Government to correct this injustice with unprecedented levels of funding coming into the region.”

READ MORE: UK government accused of 'treachery' over lost EU funding

Intervening, Labour MP Anna McMorrin (Cardiff North) said: “He makes the point of being starved by Government, however that is not what the Welsh people say, that is not what the Welsh people said at the ballot box in May last year.”

Mr Baynes replied: “I think part of the issue that we are dealing here with is the fact that Labour is almost entirely representing south Wales and has only one seat north of the Valleys in Alyn and Deeside, and therefore it doesn’t surprise me that members opposite really do not understand how much people in north Wales feel left behind and uncared for by the Welsh Government.

“I am afraid to say that the remark by her bears out exactly what I am saying.”

Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire Craig Williams agreed with Mr Baynes, adding: “If you look at the political map of those places, above the Brecon Beacons there is beginning to get a political discourse of two countries… where there is a palpable feeling of neglect from the ‘South Wales Labour Party’ as we see it.”

At the 2019 UK general election Labour lost five seats, including Ynys Mon, to the Conservatives in the north but opinion polls have suggested they would return to Labour.

At last year's Senedd elections Labour retained most of its seats in the north, but lost Vale of Clwyd to the Tories, and Labour also gained a North Wales 'list' seat reflecting the strength of its vote across the electoral region.

The EU funding Wales previously received was due to parts of the country being among the poorest or least economically developed in Europe and had to be spent in those areas which were the west of Wales, including the north west, and the Valleys.

Other areas of Wales received funding from other EU streams.

Brexit supporters argued that being outside of the EU would mean the UK would no longer be subject to its spending rules and could spend as much, or more money, in any part of the UK.

The UK Government has also promised Wales' wouldn't lose out on previous EU funding levels but as yet hasn't matched the previous spending.

Had the UK remained in the EU, Wales would have had new EU Structural funding averaging at least £375 million each year for seven years from January 2021 which would have be on top of funding from the current EU programmes. 

READ MORE: Welsh leave voters would 'back devolution over Westminster' in UK's Brexit realignment

The UK-wide £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund has set aside a total of £800 million for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over four years while the UK Government will also make cash available through a Shared Prosperity fund.

Labour former Wales Office minister Wayne David earlier called on the Government to sweep to one side the “fog” over the replacement for European funding.

The Caerphilly MP said: “On the Shared Prosperity Fund I think it’s very important we do have clarification today from the Secretary of State so that he sweeps to one side the fog that has come down over the replacement to European funding and we have some clarity about what is going to happen in the very near future.”

He said Wales “derived tremendous benefit over many, many years on the European structural funds” and “we’ve been waiting with bated breath for some time about the details” of its replacement.

He said Wales was initially promised further detail last year and then again in the White Paper on “levelling up”, and he said there is a “great deal of concern” about the lack of available detail.

Labour MP Mr Kinnock intervened, adding: “The mess that he’s talking about in terms of the Community Renewal Fund, the lack of information, the governance issues that were mentioned… this is symptomatic of a strategy which is to cut the Welsh Government out of the Shared Prosperity Fund, and that is symptomatic of a broader strategy which is to completely dismantle devolution in our country.”

READ MORE: 'The people of Wales deserve better than this Brexit'

EU funding was previously awarded to the Welsh Governmnet to spend and allocate but it is unclear how the UK Government will distribute the replacement funds. Supporters of devolved power say cutting the Welsh Government out would undermine it and devolution.

Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams (Arfon) said: “The lack of detail is extremely corrosive, particularly to small community organisations and small businesses who try to plan ahead but they are clearly impeded by the Government’s delay and I’m afraid probably their incompetence.”

Additional reporting: David Lynch, Martina Bet and Ben Hatton, PA Reporters

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