Hands up if you are conning everywhere outside London?
Plaid has consistently pointed out that the Westminster Government is conning not only Wales but the rest of the UK, in terms of public spending per head in London. Despite Jeremy Paxman's hilarious protestations, London actually gets more public spending per head than Wales, even though it happens to be one of the richest regions of Western Europe. Well, now the rest of England is waking up to the con.
The government spends more money on transport projects for Londoners than on those for the rest of the country combined, a think tank says. The Institute for Public Policy Research North says £2,700 is spent per person in London compared with £5 per head in the north-east of England.
This spending bias is of course based on the old adage/lie that by spending vast quantities of cash in London, the rest of the state benefits because it is the capital. What a pile of old crap. Sadly, this lie as with so many other policies, is pushed just as hard by Labour when in power than by the Tories and Libs. Not only is it further evidence that the current devolution settlement is flawed for Wales and Scotland but that above all, the rest of England needs and deserves devolution.
There is always the tired old argument about the NE of England turning down devolution when it was offered, when of course they were offered a system that took powers from Councils rather than devolving from London. While some of this spending in London relates to the Olympics, again there was no 'barnett consequential' to Wales as we are apparently gaining from this 'national spend.' Hmmmmmmm
I am a firm supporter of English devolution and want to see the regions (and nations-Kernow) have a strong voice, but surely this is yet more evidence that whichever party is in power in London, they put the capital first and Wales loses. Labour have and would continue to do exactly the same.
The other thing about the NE devolution is that it was being sold by Prescott! I wouldn't buy a second hand bike from that man, and not would the canny northerners.
ReplyDeleteLittle different to what happens in Wales. When Plaid was in coalition it was quite happy to defend spending in Cardiff as being 'for the good of the whole country'.
ReplyDeleteWales and Scotland both need independence, and England thus becomes independent by defaualt. These developments present a major opportunity to the diverse people of England to go beyond the London-centric Westminster state. England desperately needs both internal devolution and democratic transformation at national level in order to avoid being lorded over by a residual imperial elite in what amounts to a continuity UK. Such an outcome would be bad for all the peoples of this isle, not least those in the English periphery.
ReplyDeleteSionnyn. I don't think that he helped the cause.
ReplyDeleteJac. Rubbish and please feel free to prove otherwise. When Plaid were in One Wales, it was the first time that over 50% of the Welsh transport budget was spent on public and integrated transport. There was also a promise delivered on improving north south links, which was delivered on and has now been ignored once more now that Labour are in.
Anon. I have always been a fan of devolution within England rather than an English parliament; something that Westminster more or less is already. I think it is a mistake to believe that Wales is on the brink of independence or anywhere near it, as we do not yet have the economy or infrastructure to manage. However as a Welsh nationalist, I believe that by striving for and eventually achieving this aim, it will greatly benefit all who live in Wales. Frankly, I am surprised how easy going NE England is about being ripped off.
"Frankly, I am surprised how easy going NE England is about being ripped off"
ReplyDeleteYes but so are most of the welsh population and we have been for 200 years or more, being conned into thinking that turning ingurlish is the route to prosperity. Whilst Bfitain is a con in itself, so is Ingurland. Neither are real entities.
Without comment; GVA in East and North East outer London £13428. Darlington £19842 compared to Cardiff's £20864.
ReplyDeleteJeff. If say Merthyr was put in instead of Cardiff, what would that say? The fact remains that London is the most affluent region/nation of the UK and with its own Assembly has the ability to lessen the huge contrast between the richest and poorest communities within its borders, to an extent. NE England has no such ability or a united voice to fight for it.
ReplyDeleteWhen in England I supported regional devolution within England, its too large a state not to have a regional dimension. London does have truly awful pockets of deprivation within in it, and given its structure its inevitable that a lot of money on infrastructure is spent there, but then there are needs of most of the metro regions in England which are ignored. Its a shame that there are no parties in England that will take on this regional dimension with any seriousness.
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