Freeport jobs pledges 'quietly revised down'

PROMISES of job creation at two freeports have been stealthily downgraded by thousands of jobs, with Wales falling far behind the curve, a Senedd Member warned.

- CHRIS HAINES ICNN Senedd reporter

Plaid Cymru’s Luke Fletcher criticised the pace of change at the Celtic freeport around Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire and at the Anglesey freeport.

Mr Fletcher said people were promised transformative economic benefits, tens of thousands of jobs, billions in investment and a green revolution - “but years on, we are still waiting”.

“That's a fact, that's a reality,” the shadow economy secretary warned.

“Now, if freeports are meant to be a cornerstone of our economic strategy, then we need to actually understand exactly what we're getting and, right now, there’s a huge lack of clarity and credibility.”

Freeports, originally a Conservative UK Government policy which was endorsed by Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay, offer tax breaks in an effort to boost business.