Peter Hain, Carwyn Jones and Neil Kinnock led the Welsh charge up to Manchester. Neil gave a thoughtful and touching memorial to former Blaenau Gwent MP and Labour leader Michael Foot and Carwyn’s conference update was well received. Peter introduced Welsh Night and it was great when members raised the roof to celebrate our 29 per cent swing to Labour in Blaenau Gwent. Thanks to Progress for highlighting our result in the elections best practice guide published by Community.
The coming months in Wales will be dominated by issues of constitutional change and financial cuts. Close to St David’s Day 2011 on March 3 we’re likely to see a referendum on extra powers for the Welsh assembly. At the moment, the assembly can make laws in the areas it’s responsible for like health and education, but very often still has to ask Westminster first for the powers to do so. This is expensive and time consuming – in essence, the assembly has to jump through hoops before it can pass a law. So, a positive result from the referendum is important, but the challenge will be to garner a solid turnout, to help the growing credibility of the assembly.
In terms of the public spending round, Nick Clegg recently visited Cardiff and urged people to keep future spending cuts ‘in perspective’. This is typical of the government’s approach at the moment. Their words about cuts being progressive are already proving hollow in Wales. It’s just been confirmed the government plans to lose 300 jobs by closing the passport office in Newport. All of us from south-east Wales are hopping mad.
On the same visit Mr Clegg also ducked answering questions about the establishment of a new defence training centre in the Vale of Glamorgan. This might seem an easy cut to make – key contracts have yet to be signed – but cutting is likely to be a ‘value for money’ mistake as the planned investment will replace nine separate military training bases. Economies of scale across all three services and a boost to capital investment would come at just the right time to avoid a double dip. The other key decision to watch out for on October 20 is the planned investment in electrification of the Paddington to Swansea rail line.
It looks like the ConDems are walking away from Wales. Let’s see what happens.
One of my most uncomfortable days since being elected to parliament, was spent listening to Department of Health officials in England confirming how little progress had been made addressing life expectancy in areas with the worst health deprivation. However, despite advances like the ban on smoking in public places, there is still very often a ten year gap in life expectancy between the best and worse off areas.
When former Welsh first minister Rhodri Morgan gave the Bevan Foundation lecture at the Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale this summer, he rightly pointed to the massive investment in health by Labour – indeed in Blaenau Gwent we have a new hospital named after Nye. However, Rhodri thought Nye would have been judgemental against public health progress over the past 50 years.
So, let’s make sure we give sustained and absolute emphasis to make a real difference and markedly reduce health inequalities in the future.
And yet with all the money our ambulance service is rubbish not the ambulance workers fault. My grandson now has been waiting nine months for an appointment he needs urgent, guess what this week we were told they have a back log which may well take another five months in the mean time he suffers. I’m sorry but a few weeks ago i waited in A&E so long we went home went back the next day and waited six hours. We all know Labour targets saw the soft option of people with less serious injuries going first to seem like things were working. I’d like to see a vote to see if we still want the Assembly I’d now vote no, it’s about jobs for the people. for crying out loud when AM’s got kicked out you came up with unelected Regional AM’s what the hell was that about. I still look at England as being the government and like many people we do not look as the assembly as being anything more then a council a big one yes but nowhere in this world do i see the assembly as a Parliament government. And do not get me going on dentist in Wales, will i be voting for more powers i doubt it very very much.
If the Con Dems cut the Great Western electrification they would be making a huge mistake. Apart from Albania, Wales is the only country in Europe not to have electric trains. There are massive carbon savings to be made and the construction project would bring much-needed new jobs to Wales and the West of England. It really is a no-brainer decision. Then again, so was Forgemasters and they screwed up royally when they cut that one…
… and furthermore I might add: I’m not Welsh, I’m half-English, half-Scottish. Both Scotland and SE England have benefitted considerably from transport infrastructure investment. It may come as no surprise that the foremost economically-productive regions in the UK are London/SE and Scotland. But I have to say Wales has massive potential, it just needs a wee bit of investment: keep the region moving, and you keep the region working!