I must admit that I'm frequently guilty in cutting an pasting in this Blog but I do try and make it clear and attribute sources.
The Western Mule in an article with a byline attributed to Martin Shipton ,once again rehash a press release this time from the TUC.
Entitled
Unions leader urges UK to follow Wales' 'alternative' economic lead
It reports that
"Wales’ “alternative” economic strategy is a model for the rest of the UK to learn from, the first woman leader of the Trades Union Congress has said.
Frances O’Grady, who was on her first trip to Wales since becoming the TUC’s new general secretary, described the austerity approach adopted by most world leaders as “probably the worst global case of ‘group think’ since the Iraq war”.
Western Mail 22 January 2013
She said:When making the case for the alternative against self-defeating austerity, we know that Wales is leading the way. The Wales TUC has done a fantastic job since the financial crash to help prevent mass redundancies and save thousands of private and public sector jobs.
“There are clear lessons which the UK government can learn from Wales on policies ranging from tackling youth unemployment to ruling out privatisation in the NHS. The key difference is that the Welsh Government understands that working people and public services did nothing to cause this financial mess and that attacking them will not solve it.
“By working in partnership with the Welsh Government, the Wales TUC is taking action to build a better and more equal society in difficult times. From ensuring that public sector contracts deliver jobs and training to get people back to work, to fighting for equality reps in the workplace, trade unionism at its best is active in Wales.”
Ms O’Grady said: “We’ve seen a decline in living standards for the great majority. I think what’s important is that decline in living standards isn’t so much a symptom of the financial crash, but as economists now agree, a key driver of it.”
Western Mail 22 January 2013
What alternative strategy ?
What most of us see is a Welsh Government locked in lethargy with no ambition and only seeking to spend its pocket money from Westminster and Europe without invoking controversy.
Rather Like Rhodri Morgan's one legged duck its swimming in circles quacking about how its making progress.
Frances O’Grady, seems more intent on promoting the only part of the UK were Labour are in power rather than facing up to realty that the Welsh Government has no real alternative and doesn't have the money or power if it had one to implement it anyway.
Ms O'Grady might as well have used her praise on the Scottish Government but then that's not a Labour Administration is it?
What is real disappointing is that the article gives no alternative viewpoint on this so "alternative economic lead".
Where were the views of opposition parties?
Was Peter Black unavailable for a quote I doubt it and what of Plaid and yes the Tories?
We may have a different party then the ConLib in power here: But I see very little evidence that they even have the will to look at radical alternatives and probably would be quietly told by Ed Milliband to drop it because it would not go down well with "Middle England".
Remember when Labour were in charge of the GLC under Ken Livingston? Sometimes referred to as the only socialist ever to gain any real power in the UK? How Kinnock and the rest of the leadership distanced themselves and privately breathed a sigh of relif when it was abolished.
We don't need TUC leaders coming here to promote the Labour Party in Wales what we need is for them to fight for thier workers and that includes coneming Welsh Labour Councils attack on thier workforce someyhing Frances O’Grady and the TUC appears to be remarkably silent on
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