WELSH nationalist leader Rhun ap Iorwerth wrote to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer today seeking a meeting to discuss fairer funding for Wales.

The letter from Plaid Cymru leader Mr ap Iorwerth also raised devolution of the income from the Crown Estate in Wales and HS2 Barnett consequential funding. 

In the letter, Mr ap Iorwerth claims that new First Minister Vaughan Gething has committed to several policies initially proposed by Plaid Cymru including that HS2 is an England-only project and its classification as England and Wales denies funding to Wales.

The letter also refers to the full devolution of justice and policing powers as Welsh Labour policy.

But Mr ap Iorwerth does say that Mr Gething has been quiet on these matters since he was elected FM and speculates that the ongoing controversy regarding the £200,000 donation he accepted from an environmental offender’s company was occupying his time.

Mr ap Iorwerth also raised the £1.3 billion real-terms decrease in the Welsh government’s budget since 2021, which Mr Gething blamed on the Tories.

But since shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged not to break the Tories’ fiscal rules, Wales will also be held back by a Labour government.

Mr ap Iorwerth’s letter said: “A needs-based funding formula and the devolution of fiscal levers to Wales would redress much of this imbalance.

“I was disappointed to hear reports after your initial meeting with the new First Minister that there was no commitment to provide extra funding to the Welsh government through the HS2 project. 

“Either Mr Gething didn’t raise this issue or failed to persuade you of its significance.”

The Labour Party and Welsh Labour were asked to comment.