Wednesday 17 September 2014

Even fair funding from Barnett is still "Cap in Hand".


Back at Subordinate cCentral  "La Pasionaria" claims that
"The vow taken by the three UK party leaders to protect the Barnett formula in Scotland does not mean that the formula cannot be reformed for Wales".
Well if it does surely it will not be the Barnett formula if it is applied differently  in wales and Scotland.
She writes
Liberal Democrats have already made a manifesto commitment to update the analysis of the Holtham Commission, and top-up the Welsh block grant to an equitable funding level. Holtham suggests that Wales is currently underfunded by around £350million.
The fact that Wales is badly funded under the current form of Barnett is well-known by now. This is why the Liberal Democrats have already committed to giving more money to Wales, and ensuring that Wales’ funding can never again fall to such unfair levels.
There is absolutely nothing in the commitment made by the UK party leaders today that jeopardises the fight for fair funding for Wales – in fact, it specifically mentions the need to fairly fund all of the UK’s nations. The people of Wales will see through Plaid’s desperate attempts at spin and recognise the genuine attempts to work and create a better, federal Union.
The events of the past few months have shown to me the need for all parties to work together and decide where Wales stands inside a reformed UK. If we don’t put aside our differences and build a consensus, the voice of Wales will almost certainly be marginalised.”
So why hasn't Nick  Clegg already  used hs position in Government to argue fr this already.

If the Party Leaders are so determined to give more powers to Scotland why leave it until the eve of the referendum to make the " Vow"
Vow: The promise to Scotland's voters was delivered on the front page of the left-wing Daily Record newspaper

If this was sincere why couldn't a similar Vow be made in Wales at the same time?

Mind you could we trust a Lib Dem "Pledge"?


I think not,

Her claim that
The fact that Wales is badly funded under the current form of Barnett is well-known by now. This is why the Liberal Democrats have already committed to giving more money to Wales, and ensuring that Wales’ funding can never again fall to such unfair levels.

Is an easy one to make but again your Party is in coalition at Westminster Kirsrty. Where is the evidence that underfunding in Wales has been even mentioned at Cabinet meetings.  

The so called vow states ..

" We agree that the UK exists to ensure opportunity and security for all by sharing our resources equitably across al four nations to secure the defence prosperity and welfare of every citizen"
I thought the UK existed because England  conquered Wales and Ireland  or forced Scotland into a Union against the will of the people

La "La Pasionaria" in desperation argues that 
The people of Wales will see through Plaid’s desperate attempts at spin and recognise the genuine attempts to work and create a better, federal Union.
Well its true Plaid will be using this to their own advantage  but lets face it if you had a choice between Plaid campaigning for fairer funding or the three main London parties who only made the "Vow" as the polls pointed to a possible YES vote you could be forgiven to at least consider the former.

Mind you is it not time we started arguing that its harmful for Wales to be dependent on 
funding from Westminster.

In the recent BBC Carwyn Jones stand Leighton Andrews  boasted of the "Millions of pounds of Welfare payments coming into Wales"

We should be asking "Why is Wales so dependent"?

The answer to me is because all our major decisions are made elsewhere often by people we never voted for.

Maybe it time we in Wales as the Proclaimers  in their campaign song




stopped going Cap in Hand.


No comments: