4. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to boost the economy of north Wales? OQ61188

I hope the economy of north Wales will be boosted by the arrival of Noa Sargeant, but our plan for boosting the Welsh economy is set out in our economic mission, namely to ensure a just transition to a green economy, a platform for young people, fair work, skills and success, with stronger partnerships for stronger regions, the everyday economy we enjoy, and investing for growth.

Thank you for your answer, First Minister. You will know that north Wales has had significant attention, investment and support in recent years from the UK Conservative Government, who are transforming the economic prospects of the region I represent, with a new free port in Anglesey creating high-quality, long-term jobs, attracting around £1.4 billion-worth of investment; the enablement of a nuclear power plant at Wylfa that is a key part of our nuclear revolution and will create thousands of jobs on the island; a new investment zone in Wrexham and Flintshire, which will be an engine for further economic growth and improving skills and training; and £1 billion committed to upgrading and modernising the north Wales main line, which will improve links across north Wales and into the north-west. All of this is made possible by a UK Conservative Government. Why doesn't Cardiff Labour show the same commitment and faith to north Wales?

I admire the Member for saying all that with a straight face. On all of the areas that he's set out, there's joint investment and joint decision making with the Welsh Government, of course. I'm proud to have taken a pragmatic approach to working with a range of very different Ministers in succession on the free port, on growth deals, and indeed on the future of investment zones. And look at what we have done: the investment in Llanberis with Siemens, making sure there are high-quality jobs in rural Wales. Think about what we've done on Ynys Môn, investing in Halen Môn and others—a partnership over a long period of time, working alongside them. Look at what we're doing in north-east Wales with Enfinium and the work we are doing there, with more jobs coming as part of the green revolution that is on our doorstep, and the work we're doing to take advantage of offshore energy.

We could do so much more with a stable and decent Government across the UK, a Government that can make decisions. The reason why we have not seen investment delivered in a new generation of nuclear, whether that is for radioisotopes desperately needed in our national health service or whether it's new small modular reactors or larger technology, is because the Conservatives have never managed to field a Minister who could make a decision. It is because of the chaos in the Conservative Government that that investment has not been delivered. And who on earth knew, when they bought the site of Wylfa from Horizon, when they made an announcement on the day before the General Election, that would be a gimmick for the election? I want a Government that is serious about being a partner with the Welsh Government and north Wales to deliver good, high-quality jobs in the green revolution that is coming.

We've not even seen any development funding for those projects mentioned in north Wales yet. In the last 14 years we've seen the UK Tory Government make vicious real-terms cuts to the building blocks of economic growth: health, social care, housing, wages and local authority budgets. We've seen them starve Wales of the funding it needs, whether through successive austerity budgets or through the deliberate holding back of billions of HS2 funding. We've seen them conspiring to take money out of people's pockets through Liz Truss's mortgage and inflation bombshell. And we've seen them give more levelling-up funding to Canary Wharf in London than the whole of Wales combined this year. Is it not therefore the case, First Minister, that the best thing we can do to boost the economy of north Wales is to vote out the UK Conservative Government on 4 July?

I think within the question the Member makes a particular point that says everything you need to know about the Conservatives' attitude to Wales and to whether levelling-up is genuine: the fact that Canary Wharf in London has received more than the whole of Wales combined. That is not a Government committed to investing in the future of the economy, not a Government committed to genuine levelling-up for the communities that need a Government on their side. And no-one should be surprised that this Conservative group are such fans of Liz Truss and the disaster that she unleashed, because, of course, just on their own watch they had a series of unfunded tax cuts they pledged to the people of Wales in 2021. This group of Tories cannot be trusted, nor can the shower down the road who are in the current UK Government. I look forward to seeing them run out of town at the ballot box and a new start for Wales and Britain.