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Rail strikes: Drakeford accused of misleading Senedd over staff move claim

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A picket line in Cardiff

The Conservatives have accused Mark Drakeford of misleading the Senedd over claims staff were moved from Wales to England to keep services running during strike action.

But in a new letter, the first minister said he had received information that no staff were moved.

The Conservatives accused Mr Drakeford of refusing to correct the record.

The Welsh government declined to respond to the criticism.

In a session of First Minister's Questions last week, Mr Drakeford said: "Network Rail have removed some of the staff, who could have been available to make trains run in Wales, in order to keep trains running in England."

The comment prompted a denial from Network Rail, which said: "No Network Rail staff have been redeployed from Wales to England during this industrial action."

'Veering off course'

The Welsh government initially stood by the line, saying the organisation had "prioritised deploying their contingent signallers, some of whom normally work in Wales, to keep lines in England running".

But in a letter to Welsh Tory Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies, Mr Drakeford said he received a letter from Network Rail that included "information that no staff were moved this week".

He said Network Rail's route strategy for managing the rail strike "focuses almost entirely on lines in England", and that it had decided there is "only one priority route in the whole of Wales".

The Welsh Tories accused the first minister of refusing to correct the Senedd's record on the matter.

Mr Davies said: "For someone who likes to present himself a standard bearer for honesty in politics, Mark Drakeford is veering off course wildly."

The Welsh Conservatives have asked the Senedd's presiding officer if she would ask the first minister to correct his comments.

Network Rail declined to comment.