Plaid-Labour agree on how to spend UK Pocket Money.

One wonders  how should Plaid Cymru should have or could have  have approached the deal with the ruling  the weekend, the Labour-run administration  over a two-year deal with Plaid Cymru, covering £210m of spending commitments.

Plaid will abstain on budget votes, ensuring they will clear the Senedd.

The Welsh Conservatives said the deal was a "missed opportunity to tackle deep-seated issues like NHS underfunding".

Finance spokesman Nick Ramsay said: 

"This is the latest in a long line of sadly predictable backroom deals between the nationalists and the Labour Party, and further evidence that a vote for Plaid is a vote for Labour.
"Both parties have broken a number of election pledges to make this happen," .

But a quick glance at the BBC helpful table below  shows that  the NHS is already one of the few areas that spending has increased


In nearly every area spending will fall is it not about time if Parties call for increased NHS spending they tel us who would lose out in other areas?

If you take into consideration that  Northern Ireland will receive an extra £1bn over the next two years from the UK government ( so the same period as the Lab-Plaod agreement) as part of the deal that will see the Democratic Unionist Party's 10 MPs back Theresa May's minority government in Commons votes.

The heart of the financial package is infrastructure spending - £400m of it over two years.

That is a significant sum given that Northern Ireland's annual infrastructure budget is about £1bn.

The deal specifically mentions the York Street Interchange, a project to ease congestion where three major roads meet in Belfast.

It is expected to cost about £150m, so there should be plenty left over for other major projects.

They could include a planned transport hub in the centre of Belfast and other major roads schemes like the completion of the A5 or A6

Finance Minister Mark  Drakeford told AMs:

We can only speculate what such a sum would do to the Welsh budger but a quick glance  sees that it would not even cover cuts in  the Education Budget.

"We have worked hard to protect our valued public services from the worst effects of austerity, and this year is no exception.
"Our spending plans, together with our progressive tax plans, demonstrate our commitment to Taking Wales Forward and delivering prosperity for all during these difficult times."
The minister outlined plans to borrow £375m over three years - the first time the Welsh Government has borrowed cash.

He also announced a short-list for a new Welsh levy - a tourism tax, a disposable plastics tax, a vacant land tax and a levy to support social care.

One of the ideas will be forwarded to the UK government and parliament for approval.

Short of joining the Tories and UKIP in voting against the Labour budget which could lead to fresh Elections it is hard to see what Plaid can do  but the hypocrisy  of the Tories  who are under funding  Wales is staggering .

But it does not stop there Jeremy Corbyn  has accused the SNP of standing up for the establishment rather than Scotland by "passing the buck" on austerity and handing down Conservative spending cuts. Whilst his own party is doing just that.

Lets face  even if there was an administration in Cardiff Bay pledged to fight austerity it is hard to see how on the "Pocket Money" we get from Westminster could they could achieve it.

As long as we carry on being "Poor West Britons" it is hard to see how we can do anything but constantly to Rob Peter to pay Paul. 

I do not criticise Plaid for working under the current devolution settlement even if it means propping  up a Labour government  but surely it is time they  started pushing the idea that the real alternative is for Wales to join a hopefully Independent Catalonia and began to run our own affairs for the benefit of the people of Wales whatever their origin.