Welsh Government under fire for £7.5m for one consultant on M4 relief road

Political opponents of the Welsh Government have blasted the Labour-run administration for spending more than seven million pounds on one consultancy, Arup, for its work on the M4 relief road scheme. 

The Welsh Conservatives said communities would question the expenditure between 2010 and this year in an article on Wales Online, following an article highlighting that £20m has been spent this year "even though building work is yet to begin". The work was for public engagement services and surveys. Welsh Conservative leader was quoted as demanding clarity on the costs, saying Labour "refuses to say how much the project will cost and all the while its companies that are filling their pockets".

However the majority of readers on the site said they wanted the scheme - which overcame a bid to scrap it last year - and the Welsh Government now intends to start construction in 2018.

Meanwhile, the Labour candidate for London mayor vowed to slash consultancy spending if he is elected.