My own constituency has just launched its Yes campaign and I’ve just written a column for my local paper in Blaenau Gwent saying that this isn’t part of a ‘slippery slope’ to independence – but a common-sense move to give Wales a more equal say inside the UK.
This past week I received a briefing on Home Office financing for policing in Gwent in south Wales and I know how cross local people will be about the ConDem cuts. Despite good and prudent financial management over the years, in Gwent we are going to see 200 police officers leave, but not be replaced, over the coming few years.
Mr Cameron said before the general election: ‘What I can tell you is, any cabinet minister, if I win the election, who comes to me and says: ‘Here are my plans’ and they involve frontline reductions, they’ll be sent straigjht back to their department to go away and think again.’
Given that Gwent police have now made clear the speed and scale of the cuts – then the front line can’t be protected by long-term efficiencies. Fewer police officers will undermine the fight against crime in Wales. After all their promises it’s clear to see the Tories are not committed to protecting the front line after all.
Cameron has broken promise after promise made to the families of Wales.
• On rail electrification – The Tory manifesto committed to supporting electrification of the line from London to south Wales. Unfortunately for Wales the decision has been kicked into the long grass, while other rail projects like HS2 and Crossrail have been given the green light.
• On the St Athan defence academy. The Tories said they had no plan to axe the proposal during the general election campaign, but now, as they say on the terraces at Cardiff City, ‘It’s all gone quiet over there’
• Furthermore, Welsh hauliers and drivers feel very hard done by on fuel prices. Again before the election the Tories promised the fuel duty stabiliser to keep prices down when oil prices went up. With the increase in duty and the VAT hike, fuel prices are now at a record high. I raised this issue with Mr Cameron at PMQs recently, but the Tories are at ‘sixes and sevens’ on how to respond to this issue of rising fuel prices for families.
Given there is a Welsh Labour government in Cardiff Bay, it’s good to see first minster Carwyn Jones showing there is a different way. So, although the Tory-led government slashed the assembly budget, because Welsh Labour is in power we have taken different decisions about what to protect, on the basis of our values.
For example, we have committed to retaining the education maintenance allowance for young Welsh people who are ‘staying on’. Despite the reduction in budgets, Welsh Labour recognises that EMAs address the link between low income and low participation in full-time education. The Labour-led assembly in Wales is standing up for our young people, in stark contrast to the Tory-led government in Westminster.
My family were either steelworkers or colliers. Because I had free school meals, I received a full grant when I was the first member of my family to go to university. So it’s good to see young people from Wales getting the right support from a Labour government at the assembly while they try and gain a good start in life.
Read Nick Smith’s other contributions to the Wales column
The govenment persist spending on a project £750,000 so far when that could have been put towards improving rail countrywide.We on the blighted stretch are called nimbys but we have been the only ones aware of this project.If we get support from the rest of the counry(see stop hs2)perhaps they will take notice that the numbers dont add up, andwe wont end up with another waste of money e.g.the dome and hs1.