WelshLabour waste £200k on failed legal cases

The Labour Government in Cardiff is under attack from the Welsh Conservatives for squandering hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ cash pursuing failed legal claims.

A Freedom of Information request has exposed how Labour ministers spent £191,618 on three cases in the last five years, challenging the UK’s elected Government.

Two were in support of Gina Miller’s attempts to thwart Brexit – despite the people of Wales voting to leave the European Union – while the other was against the Conservative Government’s Internal Market Act, legislation that ensures a level playing field for business operations across the UK.

Although both of Miller’s cases were successful, they did not prevent Brexit and the Labour Government’s submission in the first case was thrown out on the basis it was not relevant. The second case involved the prorogation of Parliament, which also did not concern Welsh Ministers.

£80,781 and £18,397 were spent in support of Miller’s challenge against the UK Secretary of State and Prime Minister, respectively. The challenge to the UK Internal Market Act amounted to £92,440 and is likely to increase as Cardiff Ministers are appealing their recent loss.

A further £7,574 was spent on travel, accommodations, and food as part of supporting the Miller cases.

The total amount spent could pay for 11 trainee teachers, eight entry-level nurses, and 11 trainee dental nurses.

Commenting, Welsh Conservative and Shadow Counsel General Mark Isherwood MS said:

“It is appalling that instead of addressing record-long NHS waiting lists, the UK’s weakest education system, and boosting Britain’s lowest wages, Labour spent time and taxpayer money on opposing the UK’s democratically elected Government.

“Supporting cases designed to frustrate the UK leaving the European Union as demanded by the British and Welsh people, when the devolved Government’s role was irrelevant, is one thing, but to oppose the internal market, which allows someone in Wales to sell produce in Scotland is madness, especially when the four governments in the UK are separately working together to create UK-wide frameworks that will ensure the security and integrity of the UK internal market.

“It is abundantly clear that Labour does not care for the real needs and desires of the Welsh people – they would prefer to preen and preach their socialist dogma before a Court instead.

“The voters of Wales would be entitled to ask that Labour refund the public coffers with the money they used to deny the will of the Welsh people and put borders up through the United Kingdom. Given there is a cost-of-living crisis, I hope Labour feel ashamed for squandering money like this.”