Latest news with #DarrenMillar
Wales Online
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Wales Online
'Create hard shoulders along large parts of A55 to relieve congestion'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A call for a 'hard shoulders' along large parts of the A55 has been made in a bid to cut congestion. The dual carriageway was developed in different sections over a number of decades by various UK governments, with the last part finally completed on Anglesey in 2001. While it transformed travel across the region, the road has been declared "not fit for purpose" by critics. Demands have been made for various investments - from a third Menai crossing to the removal of the roundabouts at Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan. There have also been calls for other changes along the route - from changing "dangerous" junctions to increasing resilience. Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar this week called on the Welsh Government to invest in the A55 trunk road. He told Transport Secretary Ken Skates that creating hard shoulders along large parts of its length and planning for contraflows to be enabled would alleviate congestion. He said: 'It's been raised by other colleagues in terms of the resilience of the A55 trunk road, and it is something that I have raised many times in the past too. 'You say that you can't plan for all eventualities, but what you can do is improve the road to the extent that there are hard shoulders available. 'You can also plan for contraflows to be enabled, to save diversions through some of our town centres and villages, which then become choked up with traffic. "What people want to see is investment in the A55 trunk road. It is the key artery for our economy, for people getting to and from the locations that they need to get to for work, for education, for hospitals, et cetera. 'Why can't you do a focused piece of work on resilience just on this one particular road, taking into account the need for contraflows, making sure that we've got a phased approach to improvements in terms of the delivery of hard shoulders, so that we can make sure that the A55 is fit for purpose and that it isn't frequently beset with regular traffic jams, which give a negative impression of Wales?" Responding, the Cabinet Secretary said: 'There are resilience issues that affect many of our trunk roads. We will be carrying out specific work in regard to the A55, but I believe that there is a broader piece of work required to look at all of our major routes.' Speaking after the meeting, Mr Millar said: "The A55 is the lifeblood of the North Wales economy, but sadly it has the unpopular accolade of being one of the worst congested roads in the UK. It is therefore vital that the Welsh Government make improving this trunk road a priority.' He told North Wales Live what the Tories would do if they came into power in Wales. He said: "We would get those roundabouts removed, extend the availability of hard shoulders, and ensure that central reservation changes are made to deliver the opportunity for contraflows to prevent unnecessarily choking up the road network in local towns and villages. "This could easily be part of a programme of rolling investment in the trunk road network that can be financed via investment models which offer value for money for the taxpayer." The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates told North Wales Live: "We're continuing to progress improvements to the A55 including consideration of how connections to and from Ynys Môn can be made more resilient. "This includes improvements to the A55 junctions and carriageway alignments, introduction of wind deflectors to Britannia Bridge and improvements for walking cycling. This study is now nearing completion and we'll be making announcements on the preferred options and next stages shortly." He added: 'We are also working on transport improvements on the A483 in Wrexham to support economic growth and development including the Western Gateway. A public consultation was held during February and March and this will help inform a decision on preferred options during the summer.' Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
North Wales Live
10 hours ago
- Politics
- North Wales Live
'Create hard shoulders along large parts of A55 to relieve congestion'
A call for a 'hard shoulders' along large parts of the A55 has been made in a bid to cut congestion. The dual carriageway was developed in different sections over a number of decades by various UK governments, with the last part finally completed on Anglesey in 2001. While it transformed travel across the region, the road has been declared "not fit for purpose" by critics. Demands have been made for various investments - from a third Menai crossing to the removal of the roundabouts at Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan. There have also been calls for other changes along the route - from changing "dangerous" junctions to increasing resilience. Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar this week called on the Welsh Government to invest in the A55 trunk road. He told Transport Secretary Ken Skates that creating hard shoulders along large parts of its length and planning for contraflows to be enabled would alleviate congestion. He said: 'It's been raised by other colleagues in terms of the resilience of the A55 trunk road, and it is something that I have raised many times in the past too. 'You say that you can't plan for all eventualities, but what you can do is improve the road to the extent that there are hard shoulders available. 'You can also plan for contraflows to be enabled, to save diversions through some of our town centres and villages, which then become choked up with traffic. "What people want to see is investment in the A55 trunk road. It is the key artery for our economy, for people getting to and from the locations that they need to get to for work, for education, for hospitals, et cetera. 'Why can't you do a focused piece of work on resilience just on this one particular road, taking into account the need for contraflows, making sure that we've got a phased approach to improvements in terms of the delivery of hard shoulders, so that we can make sure that the A55 is fit for purpose and that it isn't frequently beset with regular traffic jams, which give a negative impression of Wales?" Responding, the Cabinet Secretary said: 'There are resilience issues that affect many of our trunk roads. We will be carrying out specific work in regard to the A55, but I believe that there is a broader piece of work required to look at all of our major routes.' Speaking after the meeting, Mr Millar said: "The A55 is the lifeblood of the North Wales economy, but sadly it has the unpopular accolade of being one of the worst congested roads in the UK. It is therefore vital that the Welsh Government make improving this trunk road a priority.' He told North Wales Live what the Tories would do if they came into power in Wales. He said: "We would get those roundabouts removed, extend the availability of hard shoulders, and ensure that central reservation changes are made to deliver the opportunity for contraflows to prevent unnecessarily choking up the road network in local towns and villages. "This could easily be part of a programme of rolling investment in the trunk road network that can be financed via investment models which offer value for money for the taxpayer." The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates told North Wales Live: "We're continuing to progress improvements to the A55 including consideration of how connections to and from Ynys Môn can be made more resilient. "This includes improvements to the A55 junctions and carriageway alignments, introduction of wind deflectors to Britannia Bridge and improvements for walking cycling. This study is now nearing completion and we'll be making announcements on the preferred options and next stages shortly." He added: 'We are also working on transport improvements on the A483 in Wrexham to support economic growth and development including the Western Gateway. A public consultation was held during February and March and this will help inform a decision on preferred options during the summer.'
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
I was shut down on grooming gangs, says Welsh Tory leader Millar
The leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd has accused other politicians of shutting him down over calls for a Wales-wide inquiry into grooming Millar said a statutory inquiry covering Wales and England, announced by the prime minister on Saturday, was "welcome but long overdue". In February, the Senedd rejected calls for a Welsh inquiry, but members voted unanimously that the Welsh government should consider Welsh government has been asked to comment. Millar also accused the Senedd's Presiding Officer Elin Jones of "inappropriately interrupting" him during a question about grooming gangs in January. A freedom of information request made by BBC Wales in March revealed Welsh police forces had identified no current widespread issues with grooming gangs. Responding to the new inquiry Millar said: "Every month of delay in getting to this position has caused even more hurt to those brave victims who have spoken out about their harrowing experiences and campaigned for justice."When I raised the need for an inquiry in the Senedd back in January, other politicians tried to shut me down, but it made me all the more determined to fight for the vulnerable victims of these crimes," he also said Wales should not be an "afterthought" for the new inquiry. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of a U-turn by opposition parties in Westminster after months of rejecting a new changed his mind after an audit led by Baroness Louise Casey into the data and evidence on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to make a statement to the House of Commons on Wednesday and the Casey report will be published alongside it. In January, the Welsh Tory leader and the Senedd's presiding officer clashed after Millar relayed the experiences of abuse survivor Emily Vaughn, who goes under a pseudonym, and who suffered some of the abuse in Vaughn later accused Jones of "downplaying" her experience. Jones said she had been "seeking to protect victims of abuse" and that she was "not sufficiently aware" that Vaughn had spoken publicly said the new inquiry was a "vindication" for Ms Vaughn's courage and bravery.A previous independent inquiry into the sexual abuse of children was led by Prof Alexis Jay and reported in 2022.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Welsh FM accused of doing ‘nothing' to protect pensioners from winter fuel cut
The First Minister of Wales has been accused of doing 'absolutely nothing' to protect pensioners, following a UK Government U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts. Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, called for Eluned Morgan to apologise to the pensioners affected by the change last winter, arguing the Welsh Government should have stepped in to support those in need. Speaking during First Minister's Questions on Tuesday, Mr Millar said the cut had forced vulnerable people to choose between heating and eating. Baroness Morgan, leader of the Welsh Labour Government, said she was 'absolutely delighted' that the UK Government had reversed the cut for many. The payment, worth up to £300, will be restored to the vast majority of pensioners, with anyone with an income of under £35,000 a year now getting the payment automatically. The decision last July to restrict the winter fuel payment to the poorest pensioners was intended to save around £1.5 billion a year, with more than nine million people who would have previously been eligible losing out. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, announced the partial U-turn on Monday, following significant backlash from charities, opposition MPs and the Government's own backbenchers. Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Millar said: 'Yesterday we saw a screeching U-turn on the winter fuel allowance by Rachel Reeves, after considerable pressure from the Conservative Party. 'You will know that over half a million Welsh pensioners were deprived of their winter fuel payments last year, leaving some very vulnerable people with the unenvious choice of having to choose between heating and eating – it's an absolute disgrace. 'You are meant to stand up for Wales but what did you actually do in terms of this winter fuel allowance? You did absolutely nothing.' Mr Millar argued Baroness Morgan should have implemented a Welsh winter fuel payment or stood up to Sir Keir Starmer and demanded the payment be restored sooner. Baroness Morgan responded that she was 'absolutely delighted' that Sir Keir Starmer had listened to pensioners in Wales and across the country. 'I'm really pleased that because we have made representations to the Prime Minister on this issue that he has changed his mind and that will make a difference to hundreds of thousands of pensioners across Wales this winter, in a country where we do have more older people and housing which is more difficult to heat. 'I don't think that it's bad to listen to people and then to make sure that you respond to them.' Baroness Morgan had previously pushed back against the cut, having called for a 'rethink' in early May, saying it was something 'that comes up time and again'. At the time, the Government said there would 'not be a change to the Government's policy'. On Monday, Ms Reeves suggested that the 'stability we've brought back to the economy' meant the Government was able to change the eligibility threshold for winter fuel payments.
The National
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Tories under fire for sharing call to abolish Welsh parliament
Darren Millar retweeted a post from the Abolish the Assembly party, which ended with the words 'Abolish it', referring to the Senedd. Welsh pro-independence party Plaid Cymru said Millar, the Welsh Tory leader, 'has revealed his true colours'. It comes as Millar's party already faces an uphill battle before next May's Senedd election. READ MORE: Anas Sarwar has taken a stronger stance on Gaza at times. But not when it matters A recent YouGov poll put the Welsh Tories in fourth place on 13%, behind Plaid Cymru, Reform and Labour. Millar said the polling had motivated him to 'work my socks off'. Plaid Cymru MS Heledd Fychan said: "It's time for Darren Millar to come clean. If he has U-turned on devolution having come under pressure from within his own party, he should say so." She added: "If someone else is masquerading as the leader of the Tory group in the Senedd via social media, the people of Wales deserve to know that too. 'Whether it's a case of changing their policy - despite the overwhelming support for devolution in Wales - or a case of someone else accessing the X account, one thing is for certain; the Tories just aren't a serious party.' Fychan went on: 'If you can't run a social media account you certainly can't run a country. "The Tories are in perpetual self-destruct mode and this could be the Abolish the Welsh Conservatives election in 2026. Plaid Cymru is the only credible party of government in 2026, with a relentless focus on Wales and a positive vision of what our nation can be.'
