WHEN it comes to the much disliked Severn Bridge tolls, the often ignored elephant in the room is the subsidy applied to the Humber Bridge. When last in office at Westminster, New Labour chose to quietly (and regularly) subsidise the Humber Bridge tolls, yet it made no move whatsoever towards doing anything about dealing with the tax on jobs, businesses and commuters which are the Severn bridge tolls.

This may explain why our local Labour MPs do little beyond trotting out the same old tired press releases bemoaning the failure of the current government to do anything. The Humber Bridge subsidy continues to be paid by the Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition government. As one of the most ideologically driven governments that we have ever seen, having driven the Thatcherite ‘free market’ ideology into wholly new areas, yet it has shown no inclination to curb the Humber Bridge state subsidy or offer to help Welsh commuters and businesses out with a similar subsidy.

Jonathan T Clark, Plaid Cymru Parliamentary Candidate Monmouth Constituency