Sir Fynwy Torfaen MS, Stephen Senior, has spoken out on the M4 relief road project, and the growing concern that communities in Monmouthshire could pay the price if the Welsh Government does not go ahead with the project. Read the speech he was due to make in the Senedd here.

This sorry tale of inaction around the M4 at Newport is a telling example of the growing problem that this country has faced going back nearly 40 years.

It became clear in the late 1980s that the original M4 Newport Bypass was inadequate for several engineering reasons – not just the Brynglas Tunnels. Too many junctions, too many curves, and undulating terrain.

A recipe for incidents and congestion as traffic levels far surpassed those predicted in the 1960s. The reduction to two lanes at Magor is an additional bottleneck – and a relatively simple one to solve. Yet not even that has been addressed. The Welsh Office made plans in 1991 but no progress was made. Then following devolution there were several more attempts to solve this problem but nothing was achieved by Labour or Plaid Cymru. What would our Victorian predecessors have made of this?

Devolution was marketed as a chance for the people of Wales to take control of key decisions. Two thirds of the Welsh population rely on the M4 in one form or another. Yet the ‘Welcome to Wales’ sign in Monmouthshire is so frequently seen whilst at a standstill. Drakeford’s Car Park as many in Gwent call it. What a failure of devolution.

I welcome this motion from Labour. I am rather reminded of the Parable of the Lost Sheep, with the reference to joy in heaven over the sinner who repents – but I won’t take than analogy too far!

Reform had the foresight to place the M4 prominently in our Welsh manifesto.  We know how important the M4 relief road is.  This vital arterial route has been choking our productivity, preventing inward investment and forcing our youngsters to leave Wales to obtain employment. We take pride in big events held in Newport, Cardiff and Swansea - yet many business people, fans and tourists leave Wales with a negative perception because of the M4 – sometimes never to return.

Let me be very clear - public transport will not solve this problem. In fact, the advent of driverless cars will likely lead to a collapse in demand for public transport outside of cities and an increase in demand for road space – where strict spacing between vehicles will be a requirement.

This proposal has already undergone years of design, engineering work, environmental assessment and a public enquiry.  The work has already been done.  The TR111 planning protection to prevent other developments along the route had been in place since 1995.  Yet this protection was removed in 2021 by the last Welsh Labour Government – an appalling decision and an act of economic vandalism. Mark Drakeford and Lee Waters acting in harmony against the interests ofWales.

It looks today that there is a majority in this Senedd in favour of taking real action over the M4. Plaid Cymru need to accept this political reality.

Otherwise, this chamber has other options to progress the will of the Welsh people, including strict conditions on future Welsh budget agreements or introducing legislation.

Plaid Cymru – you have been warned. You are a minority Government.