Tuesday 9 May 2017

Labour offer Wales nothing but the staus quo.

Labour has launched its general election campaign in Wales at a 45-minute rally during which Jeremy Corbyn’s name was not mentioned once.
It also unveiled a series of pledges which are the responsibility of the Welsh Government, not Westminster.
  • Protect living standards and create better jobs closer to home. Introduce a real Living Wage of £10 per hour and invest in infrastructure, skills and new technology.
  • Defend our NHS and protect social care. Continue to give the NHS and social care services the money they need and carry on work to join up services from hospital to home, using record levels of investment from the Welsh Labour Government.
  • This is a devolved measure so  it is the Assembly Governments Policy , though if the Tories are planning to Privatise the NHS  it may be relevant.

  • Give all children a chance to achieve. Protect free school breakfasts and invest an additional £100m to further improve school standards in Wales over this Assembly term.
This is also a devolved matter.

  • More bobbies on the beat to make our neighbourhoods safer. 853 new police officers in our communities and stronger rights for victims.
  • Provide more affordable homes to rent and buy. Deliver 20,000 more affordable homes.
  • This is also a devolved matter
When it was put to Mr Jones that he was seeking to fight the general election largely on devolved issues and on his administration’s record rather than non-devolved UK-wide policies, he said: 
“In our pledges we talk about 853 extra police officers, a Living Wage of £10 an hour – this is legislation that we can’t produce.
He did not appear to suggest however that about at Westminster would seek to devolve Policing to Wales.

I accept hat this was a "Welsh" Party Launch though Carwyn could have avoided  Press speculation by mentioning Jeremy Corbyn.
Which lead to the Wales Onlne Headline


Welsh Labour held a 45-minute general election launch and didn't mention Jeremy Corbyn once.

But  surely a Welsh Launch would indicate what UK Labour have of furthering Welsh Devolution such as the above Policing and Criminal Justice.

Indeed as Jeremy Corbyn announces his party UK Manifesto Today we se no indication of further devolution and one wonders what he will propose for not only Wales but the rest of the UK and with a second Scottish Independence Referendum imminent , what will Labour offer Scotland to say NO?

You can read the whole of Carwyn's speech here ,

But when you read it wonder why he has so little ambition for Wales to take on the powers to address the issues he presumably supports 

His Predecessor Rhodri Morgan in a response to Tony Blair's Blue- Toryism  talked about  putting "Clear red Water between the Welsh and Labour Party.

Well Carwyn's failure to enthusiastically  back Jereny Corbyn seems he would prefer to adopt a lighter shade of red from his UK leader.

But the reality is he offers Wales nothing and if Jeremy Corbyn was to enter Number 10, there is no indication that "Welsh" Labour  will seek the powers to resolve the fact that Wales is one of the poorest parts of Europe.


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