Severn Bridge Tolls Increase for 2010 | Labour Government compared to "Mr. Scrooge at Christmas"

12.00.00am GMT Tue 22nd Dec 2009

Hard Times for Wales as Labour Government play at being Mr. Scrooge for Christmas

The decision to go ahead with the annual increase on the Severn Tolls for 2010 has led to a local Assembly member attacking the UK Government as "Mr. Scrooge at Christmas."

Welsh Lib Dem Assembly Member Michael German was speaking after it was confirmed that the tolls on the Severn Crossings are to increase on January 1st, on the same day as both bridges were closed to traffic because of falling ice.

Mr. German said, "We had Great Expectations that this year the Labour UK Government would stop acting like Mr. Scrooge and give Wales a Christmas present and help lift the burden off businesses and commuters in Wales who have no choice but to pay. However, despite hundreds of people supporting the campaign on-line and cross party support in the National Assembly together with MPs at Westminster, our demand fell on deaf ears."

Mr. German learned that the annual increase would proceed in a letter from Sadiq Khan, Minister of State for Transport, replying to a letter from Mr. German had written in early November. "The Minister admission in the letter that the government didn't even try to look at freezing the tolls. Wales got the short straw again.

"The Welsh economy is experiencing Hard Times. Freezing the tolls just as has happened with the Humber Bridge in Yorkshire, would have demonstrated the Labour government being serious in wanting to help Wales out of the recession."

Ed Townsend, the Lib Dem MP Candidate for Newport East & Severnside and Deputy Leader of Newport City Council described the news as 'very disappointing'. He said, "We are working hard to help Newport come out of the recession. The UK Government are all to willing to help Yorkshire, and freeze bridge tolls there until 2011. For Wales? They didn't even bother to try. It's A Tale of Two Cities: Bristol's economy is driving itself out of the recession, whilst Newport and South Wales have to contend with the highest tolls in the UK and a barrier to investment and jobs."

The campaign to freeze the tolls attracted the support of many MPs in Westminster. A motion proposed by Jenny Willott, Welsh Lib Dem MP for Cardiff Central, attracted the support of fellow MPs from across party lines, including MPs from Northern Ireland. Mr. German added, "I'd like to thank Our Mutual Friends in Westminster for supporting us. We attracted supported from across the UK and from many different parties. There is a growing sense of injustice to Wales by the high tolls people are forced to pay."