Ahead of this week's Budget, Ceredigion Preseli MP Ben Lake is calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer not to shortchange Wales

Rachel Reeves will deliver the much-anticipated Budget on Wednesday, 26 November, with many expecting to see tax rises.

Speaking ahead of the announcement, Plaid Cymru's Treasury spokesperson, Ben Lake MP, said that Wales is “losing out on billions from unfair spending decisions” made by this Labour UK Government.

This includes the continued denial of Barnett consequentials from railway projects such as HS2 and the Oxford-Cambridge line, damaging taxes on family businesses and farms, as well as a shortfall in Wales’ public sector from Employer NIC rises.

However, while Mr Lake has said that the people of Wales are “bearing the brunt” of Labour’s damaging policies, it is unlikely that Rachel Reeves will change these fundamentals.

Ahead of the Budget, Plaid Cymru has called for:

Reclassification of HS2 and the Oxford–Cambridge rail as England-only projects to ensure Wales receives the billions it is owed in Barnett consequentials;

Unlock Wales’s borrowing powers to address historic underinvestment;

Halt Labour’s damaging taxes on work and introduce a tax on extreme wealth;

Cut the cost of energy and give Wales control of the Crown Estate.

Mr Lake said: “Once again, this Budget seems likely to fall short of what Wales needs or deserves, because when Westminster does the counting, Wales always loses out.

“The string of U-turns from Labour over the last few weeks has left the public wondering what they actually stand for, if anything at all. From income tax rises to the two-child cap, their backtracking leaves little confidence that Wednesday’s Budget will bring clarity, or that Labour themselves have faith in their fiscal strategy.

“But people across Wales are not just looking for stability, they’re looking for ambition that will provide real change to improve their day to day lives. That is what Plaid Cymru’s proposals to the Chancellor are offering, and that is why she should take them seriously ahead of the Budget on Wednesday.

“Wales has lost out on billions from unfair spending decisions made by this Labour UK Government. Plaid Cymru is simply calling for fairness, and for a budget that will deliver for Wales. From calling for the billions owed to Wales from HS2 to the devolution of the Crown Estate, to demanding action on the cost of living and a rethink of Labour's tax rises on family businesses and farms.

“There is a clear pattern of Wales being treated unfairly. We were promised better with two Labour Governments at both ends of the M4, yet we’re seeing more of the same, with people across Wales bearing the brunt of Labour’s damaging policies. If the Chancellor wanted to meet the needs of people in Wales and match their appetite for real change, then she would listen to Plaid Cymru’s proposals and provide our communities with the tools and the investment they need to thrive.”