Welsh Conservatives pledge to build M4 relief road and freeze council tax as it launches election campaign

  • Watch the full interview with the Welsh Conservative Leader Andrew RT Davies and ITV Wales' Political Correspondent Owain Phillips

The Welsh Conservatives are pledging to build the M4 relief road, freeze council tax and recruit 3,000 nurses as they launched their campaign for the Senedd elections.

They said the commitments were part of a package of pledges to help families, workers and businesses bounce back after the Covid-19 crisis.

The Conservatives said they will build a relief road for the M4

The Tories are pledging under their Welsh Conservative Guarantee to:

  • create 65,000 new jobs

  • freeze council tax for at least the next two years

  • work with the UK Government to inject £2 billion into Wales, including an M4 relief road, upgrades to the A55 and A40, and green charging points

  • build new hospitals and extra funding for the NHS every year, with 3,000 more nurses and 1,200 doctors

  • recruit 5,000 more teachers and invest in Welsh education

  • work with Conservative police and crime commissioners to invest in more police and cut crime

Labour has been in government in Wales since devolution began in 1999, forming a coalition with the Liberal Democrats in 2000 and Plaid Cymru in 2007.

They won 29 of the 60 seats in the 2016 Senedd election and govern with the support of Liberal Democrat Kirsty Williams and independent member Lord Elis-Thomas.

The Conservatives are the second largest group in the Senedd with 11 seats and are hoping for a repeat of the 2019 UK general election when the party won six Welsh seats from Labour.

The Conservatives held their campaign launch virtually

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Conservative Senedd group said, "The Senedd election on May 6 is the most important in Wales for a generation. We are at a crossroads and this election will decide which road we take.

"Our economy is currently experiencing the deepest downturn since records began, and evidence shows that Welsh communities could be amongst the worst hit in the UK. We need a plan for recovery and for jobs.

"The people of Wales can't afford another five years of Labour propped up by the nationalists. The same old Labour that has allowed the problems in our country to mount up over the past two decades and have no plan to fix things.

"We will ensure Welsh families, workers and businesses can bounce back from the pandemic, by creating new opportunities and delivering investment in our infrastructure and public services. It's a message of positivity and hope.

"Welsh Conservatives will build a better Wales and create the opportunities Wales needs, and solve the challenges Wales faces, with more jobs, better hospitals and first class schools."

Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said, "There has never been a more important time for two governments to work together in Wales to rebuild the Welsh economy.

"Without a strong economy, there cannot be a strong health or education system. Without a strong economy, we cannot fund the vital public services such as the police and security services to keep our streets safe.

"The Conservatives have shown that we are a Government who will get things done, and the ambitions we have for Wales working side by side are unparalleled.

"That is what is on offer from the Welsh Conservatives to the people of Wales on May 6".