Welsh Conservatives would ditch Labour’s million-pound ministerial cars
The Welsh Conservatives have pledged to scrap the Welsh Government’s fleet of costly chauffeur-driven cars if they enter government following the Welsh General Election in May.
Welsh Conservative Leader, Andrew RT Davies, said he would follow the lead of the Secretary of State for Wales – who scrapped the Wales Office’s Jaguar to save taxpayers’ cash.
The announcement comes after Mr Davies uncovered figures showing that Labour’s chauffeur-driven cars have cost almost £1.8m since the start of the Assembly term.
Just over £600,000 has been spent on annual costs since 1st April 2011. The figures include maintenance, fuel bills, insurance, breakdown cover and road tax.
The bill for 2014/15 was £189,000 – a rise of 57% since 2011/12, when spending stood at £120,430.
A further £1,028,899 has been spent on driver salaries since 2011.
Commenting on the figures, Andrew RT Davies said:
“Hardworking Welsh people will be stunned to learn that their taxes are being wasted on a luxury fleet of chauffeur-driven cars for Labour Ministers.
“It’s an appalling waste of money and a Welsh Conservative Government would would scrap this appalling waste of taxpayers’ cash.
“Carwyn Jones and his Labour colleagues have their priorities completely wrong, spending nearly half a million pounds every year on luxury travel, but won’t commit a few million pounds for a Cancer Treatments Fund to end the postcode lottery in access to cancer medicines.
Shadow Finance Minister, Nick Ramsay, said:
“With remarkable hypocrisy Labour Ministers stand up in the Assembly Chamber each week and preach about sustainable public transport, then travel home in their gas-guzzling taxpayer-funded executive cars.
