Cost of secret ceremony queried.

Given that the  ceremony that was staged a fortnight ago to mark the renaming of the Second Severn Crossing after the Prince of Wales. cost nearly £4000 we may be actually grateful it was carried out almost in private.


Prince Charles attended at the start of his annual week-long visit to Wales and Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns and First Minister Carwyn Jones both said a few words.

Which led to an extraordinary claim from  maverick AM Neil  McEvoy

  Neil McEvoy AM‏ @neiljmcevoy

Neil McEvoy AM Retweeted UK Government Wales

Carwyn Jones, the Labour First Minister, claimed to me in the Chamber that he did not attend the ceremony renaming the Second Severn Crossing to the Prince of Wales Bridge. The Wales Office claims otherwise. Has he just misled the chamber again? Can't help himself.

But there were very few media representatives in attendance to cover the unveiling to confirm whether Carwyn was there or not

Spoiler Alert he was.

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 WalesOnline say thet were given an embargoed royal itinerary for Prince Charles' week in Wales and invited to bid for a small number of reporting slots to cover the events over the week.

They say,

The itinerary had no mention of a ceremony. It only described "a visit to the toll plaza office at the Second Severn Crossing, which is being renamed The Prince of Wales Bridge to mark His Royal Highness's 70th birthday".
There was no mention of a public ceremony only a visit to an office that is all but inaccessible without permission.
.
Despite requesting a place on the rota, we were told there was no space.
We even contacted the Wales Office last week and asked for full details of the arrangements, stressing our wish to cover the renaming.
Yet in contrast to how keen the Wales Office usually is to promote events it is holding in Wales, there was no press release or other official communication from the Government about the renaming ceremony until after it had finished.

Instead it was left to the Wales Office and the small number of reporters and a wire photographer allocated rota passes to the "toll plaza office visit" to cover the historic moment.

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns revealed the costs in a parliamentary answer to Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards.

The Pretender and Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns, during his visit to the crossing's toll plaza (Image: Wales Office/PA Wire)

Plaid Cymru MP Mr Edwards said:

 “Having caused untold misery with eight years of cuts to public spending, the news that the Westminster Government found tens of thousands of pounds to rename a bridge will rightly cause disgust all over Wales...
“To spend almost £40,000 on the renaming, against the will of the people he supposedly represents, only goes to further expose his complete and utter pointlessness. The Severn Bridges serve as a gateway to our country.
“It’s time to transfer ownership over the bridges to our own national government, and out of the hands of Alun Cairns and his Westminster puppet masters.”

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns revealed the costs in a parliamentary answer to Carmarthen East Plaid Cymru MP Mr Edwards who  said:

 “Having caused untold misery with eight years of cuts to public spending, the news that the Westminster Government found tens of thousands of pounds to rename a bridge will rightly cause disgust all over Wales...
“To spend almost £40,000 on the renaming, against the will of the people he supposedly represents, only goes to further expose his complete and utter pointlessness. The Severn Bridges serve as a gateway to our country.
“It’s time to transfer ownership over the bridges to our own national government, and out of the hands of Alun Cairns and his Westminster puppet masters.”

The dragon on the sign for the Prince of Wales Bridge . The blue tongue

and what looks like a  collar has provoked controversy

Commenting on the works costs, Mr Cairns said:

"These costs reflect standard street furniture costs. All costs will be met by Highways England. "These are one-off costs and no significant ongoing maintenance costs are anticipated." The cost of the £6,767 ceremony was met by the Wales Office (i.e. you and me).

In his speech at a reception this month to mark the renaming of the Bridge, the English claimant to the title Prince of Wales said: 

“It is, therefore, my particular hope that the Crossing’s new name will bring to mind all those who, over these long centuries, have borne that ancient title ‘Tywysogion Cymru’ and the different traditions and heritages that they represent. Like the tributaries of the Severn, our different pasts meet in a shared present.
“In such a coming together, while never forgetting where we have come from, we can, I hope, each in our own way, contribute to a better future for all.”

In what way remaining a bridge  contribute to a better future for all.”

Maybe  the "was he there or not"  First Minister can elaborate in the siambr one day?