I shouldn't be surprised but it is a shame that Ed Miliband missed a chance to use his first public speech as Labour leader to show he understands Wales. He called on Labour to show it understands the economy and to stand by devolution but he ignored the elephant in the parlour of Welsh life – fair funding for Wales.
Wales loses out by more than £300m per year but Ed Miliband still thinks that the formula “serves us well”. Understanding the economy? Not ours!
More surprising still, there was no mention at all of the referendum on law-making powers, the major event of the next year in Wales and one that will – win or loose - shape our nation over the next thirty years. During the tedious months of Labour’s leadership contest, Carwyn Jones and his band of followers do not seem to have made any impact at all on their new boss.
It is good to see that Li’l Ed is now a convert to Plaid policies on the Iraq war, reform the House of Lords, a living wage and the putting people and communities at the centre of economic planning. Has somebody given him one of Ieuan’s speeches from 2005?
I only wish they had. Miliband needs to understand the country next door and he’s shown he knows virtually nothing and cares even less. While so many decisions that affect our life here are made in London his ignorance may be very dangerous to us.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Dau fedd fu ei ddiwedd e: y LibDems a thorri budd-daliadau yng Nghymru
Yr wythnos diwethaf bues i’n trafod y ffaith fod Llafur yn defnyddio ffigurau camarweiniol ar gyfer swyddi cyhoeddus dan fygythiad - 50,000 yn ol Llafur tra bod yr amcangyfrif as sail ffigurau’r Trysorlys tipyn yn is. Wrth edrych ar ymddygiad gwarthus cyngor Llafur Castell Nedd tuag at ei gweithwyr - bygwth sacio pawb a bwriadu cymryd y mwyfrif yn ol ar delerau gwaeth - mae’n annodd peidio dod i’r casgliad bod Llafur yn bwriadu torri swyddi ychwanegol er mwyn creu cronfa gwario at y dyfodol, ac er mwyn cynyddu drwgdeimlad tuag at y ConDems.
Ond dwi ddim am awgrymu nad oes toriadau dwfn ar y ffordd, nid yn lleiaf toriadau mewn budd-daliadau a pensiynnau a chefnogaeth i bobl ar incwm isel.
Gyda’i gilydd mae’r gwariant yna yn cyfri am oddeutu 40% o’r arian cyhoeddus sy’n dod i Gymru. Dyma arian sydd dan fygythiad gwirioneddol ar ol datganiad y Canghellor ei fod am weld gostyngiad o £15bn mewn cyllid lles dechre’r mis. Gan fod gwariant ar raglenni lles yng Nghymru 115% yn uwch na’r cyfartaledd, byddwn yn wynebu toriadau o oddeutu £830 million y flwyddyn. Mae’r arian yma ar hyn o bryd yn cael ei wario yn yr economi leol – does gan pobl dlawd fawr o obaith o gynilo. Ac fe’i collir i’r union economi honnno pe gweitheredir y toriadau.
Yn ysgrifennu yn y Times Dydd Gwener, hawliodd Nick Clegg y byddai’r toriadau yn rhai ‘teg’. Ond yr hyn nad yw e’n ei ddeall - neu nad yw am ddeall - yw bod gofal cymdeithasol eisioes mewn argyfwng. O dan Llafur roeddwn eisioes yn gweithio gyda phobl a oedd yn wynebu colli budd-daliadau yr oeddent eu hangen, ac wedi eu derbyn ers blynyddoedd. Roedd Llafur yn newid y meini prawf ar gyfer hawlio cefnogaeth – symyd y pyst hanner ffordd drwy’r gem mewn geiriau eraill. Budd-daliadau ydy rhain sy’n help at gadw car pan na fedr rhywun anabl ddal bws, neu fel arall arian sy’n sicrhau cymorth gyda gwaith tŷ a galluogi pobl hŷn neu phobl â salwch tymor hir i aros yn eu cartrefi.
Yn ôl Clegg, mae cymdeithas teg yn un “lle mae pobl yn gallu creu bywyd gwell i’w hunain gyda chefnogaeth gan Lywodraeth a’r gymuned ehangach”.
Heb gar? Heb gymorth i aros yn eu cartrefi?
Neithiwr apeliodd Clegg ar ei blaid i balu ‘mlaen ‘er lles y wlad’ (Prydain, cyn bo' chi'n gofyn) ac ar eu lles hwy eu hunain. Mae bellach hefyd yn datgan y byddai’n ystyried clymbleidio gyda Llafur y tro nesa. Jiw, jiw, wel dyna ni. Doedd fawr o wahaniaeth rhwng agwedd y Toris a Llafur at les ta pun…
Mae gan Moi Pari englyn sydd wedi bod yn mynd trwy fy mhen trwy’r dydd.
Falle dylwn ei ddanfon at Mr Clegg..?
Beddargraff Consuriwr
Mor slic y bu’r tric pob tro, – rhoi ei hun
Mewn bocs pren i’w lifio,
Ond unwaith, method weithio;
Dau fedd fu ei ddiwedd o!
Mae Moi’n gwerthu ’Pentwr o 100 o englynion Moi’ - £3 (neu fwy) yr elw at Blaid Cymru – copiau gan yr awdur 01352 713603 – Bargen – peth prin iawn yng Nghymru Clegg Cameron a Hain
Ond dwi ddim am awgrymu nad oes toriadau dwfn ar y ffordd, nid yn lleiaf toriadau mewn budd-daliadau a pensiynnau a chefnogaeth i bobl ar incwm isel.
Gyda’i gilydd mae’r gwariant yna yn cyfri am oddeutu 40% o’r arian cyhoeddus sy’n dod i Gymru. Dyma arian sydd dan fygythiad gwirioneddol ar ol datganiad y Canghellor ei fod am weld gostyngiad o £15bn mewn cyllid lles dechre’r mis. Gan fod gwariant ar raglenni lles yng Nghymru 115% yn uwch na’r cyfartaledd, byddwn yn wynebu toriadau o oddeutu £830 million y flwyddyn. Mae’r arian yma ar hyn o bryd yn cael ei wario yn yr economi leol – does gan pobl dlawd fawr o obaith o gynilo. Ac fe’i collir i’r union economi honnno pe gweitheredir y toriadau.
Yn ysgrifennu yn y Times Dydd Gwener, hawliodd Nick Clegg y byddai’r toriadau yn rhai ‘teg’. Ond yr hyn nad yw e’n ei ddeall - neu nad yw am ddeall - yw bod gofal cymdeithasol eisioes mewn argyfwng. O dan Llafur roeddwn eisioes yn gweithio gyda phobl a oedd yn wynebu colli budd-daliadau yr oeddent eu hangen, ac wedi eu derbyn ers blynyddoedd. Roedd Llafur yn newid y meini prawf ar gyfer hawlio cefnogaeth – symyd y pyst hanner ffordd drwy’r gem mewn geiriau eraill. Budd-daliadau ydy rhain sy’n help at gadw car pan na fedr rhywun anabl ddal bws, neu fel arall arian sy’n sicrhau cymorth gyda gwaith tŷ a galluogi pobl hŷn neu phobl â salwch tymor hir i aros yn eu cartrefi.
Yn ôl Clegg, mae cymdeithas teg yn un “lle mae pobl yn gallu creu bywyd gwell i’w hunain gyda chefnogaeth gan Lywodraeth a’r gymuned ehangach”.
Heb gar? Heb gymorth i aros yn eu cartrefi?
Neithiwr apeliodd Clegg ar ei blaid i balu ‘mlaen ‘er lles y wlad’ (Prydain, cyn bo' chi'n gofyn) ac ar eu lles hwy eu hunain. Mae bellach hefyd yn datgan y byddai’n ystyried clymbleidio gyda Llafur y tro nesa. Jiw, jiw, wel dyna ni. Doedd fawr o wahaniaeth rhwng agwedd y Toris a Llafur at les ta pun…
Mae gan Moi Pari englyn sydd wedi bod yn mynd trwy fy mhen trwy’r dydd.
Falle dylwn ei ddanfon at Mr Clegg..?
Beddargraff Consuriwr
Mor slic y bu’r tric pob tro, – rhoi ei hun
Mewn bocs pren i’w lifio,
Ond unwaith, method weithio;
Dau fedd fu ei ddiwedd o!
Mae Moi’n gwerthu ’Pentwr o 100 o englynion Moi’ - £3 (neu fwy) yr elw at Blaid Cymru – copiau gan yr awdur 01352 713603 – Bargen – peth prin iawn yng Nghymru Clegg Cameron a Hain
Thursday, 16 September 2010
They made us do it! Labour Job cuts in Neath and Port Talbot
I have to admire Peter Hain. That's not a sentence I plan to use very often of
the orange one but there are times when his acrobatics with the facts are almost poetic. In the weeks before this year's Westminster election, Eurfyl ap Gwilym released an estimate of up to 45,000 Welsh jobs at risk following Labour's intended cuts based on Carwyn Jones’ own projections of cuts under Labour.
Peter Hain dismissed this estimate as "irresponsible scaremongering". He was quite right – but the scaremongering was by his own party - for its own electoral ends. Within a few short weeks of the election, Hain himself was back in the fold, claiming that ConDem cuts could cost 50,000 Welsh jobs.
Where does that figure come from? The scale of cuts to the Welsh block grant will not be known until the Comprehensive Spending Review is published at the end of next month and ConDem benefit cuts will pull individuals into poverty and hit local businesses hard. But in the meantime sensible estimates on cuts and jobs at risk should surely be based on the London Coalition Government’s June budget.
Writing on the IWA blog yesterday, Eurfyl ap Gwilym calculates a cumulative cut of 12.9% in real terms over three years.
In his address to the Cardiff Business Club on 29 March, Carwyn Jones however, implied a cumulative cut of 16.5% over the same period if calculated in real terms.
If we project the both estimates directly onto jobs at risk, then the difference is huge – 45 thousand according to Labour’s estimate as opposed to 24 thousand over the same three years using the Treasury's figures.
Why these differences? Possibly to increase voters’ sense of insecurity, but possibly also to justify additional Labour cuts in Wales.
That brings me to the second point…
Neath and Port Talbot in Hain's own constituency is now the only wholly Labour controlled local authority in Wales. They are also the authority's biggest employer. Wouldn’t it be wonderful then for the people of Neath were their jobs to be protected by the party that appears to put such a premium on them?
But no. Over the summer, the council's entire 7,000 workforce received letters informing them that their jobs were being reviewed, they might be lost or they might have to reapply for them at a different grade or with different conditions.
In June Mr. Hain claimed: "It is clear that the Tories are cutting not because they need to, but because they want to".
Look closer to home Mr. Hain.
At the last election when Labour won votes across Wales, Plaid big hitter, Neath-based Alun Llewellyn closed the gap with Hain by almost 3,000 votes. He will be standing again in May. Those 7,000 council workers and their families whose security is threatened by a greedy and unprincipled council may well want to remind Labour’s cut-happy MP, their councillors and their silent AM that their positions are also being reviewed.
Links:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/04/16/45-000-public-sector-jobs-under-threat-from-labour-spending-cuts-says-plaid-91466-26254280/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/06/22/50-000-jobs-on-the-line-as-budget-hits-wales-hardest-91466-26697150/
http://www.clickonwales.org/2010/09/what-we-have-to-spend-over-the-next-four-years/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/06/22/50-000-jobs-on-the-line-as-budget-hits-wales-hardest-91466-26697150/
the orange one but there are times when his acrobatics with the facts are almost poetic. In the weeks before this year's Westminster election, Eurfyl ap Gwilym released an estimate of up to 45,000 Welsh jobs at risk following Labour's intended cuts based on Carwyn Jones’ own projections of cuts under Labour.
Peter Hain dismissed this estimate as "irresponsible scaremongering". He was quite right – but the scaremongering was by his own party - for its own electoral ends. Within a few short weeks of the election, Hain himself was back in the fold, claiming that ConDem cuts could cost 50,000 Welsh jobs.
Where does that figure come from? The scale of cuts to the Welsh block grant will not be known until the Comprehensive Spending Review is published at the end of next month and ConDem benefit cuts will pull individuals into poverty and hit local businesses hard. But in the meantime sensible estimates on cuts and jobs at risk should surely be based on the London Coalition Government’s June budget.
Writing on the IWA blog yesterday, Eurfyl ap Gwilym calculates a cumulative cut of 12.9% in real terms over three years.
In his address to the Cardiff Business Club on 29 March, Carwyn Jones however, implied a cumulative cut of 16.5% over the same period if calculated in real terms.
If we project the both estimates directly onto jobs at risk, then the difference is huge – 45 thousand according to Labour’s estimate as opposed to 24 thousand over the same three years using the Treasury's figures.
Why these differences? Possibly to increase voters’ sense of insecurity, but possibly also to justify additional Labour cuts in Wales.
That brings me to the second point…
Neath and Port Talbot in Hain's own constituency is now the only wholly Labour controlled local authority in Wales. They are also the authority's biggest employer. Wouldn’t it be wonderful then for the people of Neath were their jobs to be protected by the party that appears to put such a premium on them?
But no. Over the summer, the council's entire 7,000 workforce received letters informing them that their jobs were being reviewed, they might be lost or they might have to reapply for them at a different grade or with different conditions.
In June Mr. Hain claimed: "It is clear that the Tories are cutting not because they need to, but because they want to".
Look closer to home Mr. Hain.
At the last election when Labour won votes across Wales, Plaid big hitter, Neath-based Alun Llewellyn closed the gap with Hain by almost 3,000 votes. He will be standing again in May. Those 7,000 council workers and their families whose security is threatened by a greedy and unprincipled council may well want to remind Labour’s cut-happy MP, their councillors and their silent AM that their positions are also being reviewed.
Links:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/04/16/45-000-public-sector-jobs-under-threat-from-labour-spending-cuts-says-plaid-91466-26254280/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/06/22/50-000-jobs-on-the-line-as-budget-hits-wales-hardest-91466-26697150/
http://www.clickonwales.org/2010/09/what-we-have-to-spend-over-the-next-four-years/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/06/22/50-000-jobs-on-the-line-as-budget-hits-wales-hardest-91466-26697150/
Monday, 6 September 2010
A’r gwynt i’r drws pob bore: thinking about sustainability
Two years ago at Plaid’s National Conference I introduced a motion calling for a town centres strategy to promote local business, local procurement and food production. Much of the argument, which became part of our Westminster manifesto was based on a document entitled Ghost Town Britain on http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/ghost-town-britain-ii-death-high-street.
Last week some friends reminded me that I haven’t said anything about climate change for some time. I spent yesterday evening reading through the Energy Descent Action Plan produced by Totnes Transition Town group. It’s available on: http://totnesedap.org.uk/ and makes some very important points about the need to a resilient (largely self-sufficient) local economy. The authors point out that money arriving in the area leaves it without creating any benefit locally – in paying energy bills, shopping in supermarkets and online and advocate localisation … Sounds familiar?
But it is frustrating to see how few and far between sustainable practices are. Food co-operatives in Wales such as in Cardigan have great potential as does the allotment movement and the community-owned wind turbines at Gigha and at Findhorn in Scotland. But I wonder if the focus on localism isn’t self-defeating when it clouds the need for national action.
Without a doubt Wales can produce more electricity than we need from renewable sources. So why aren’t we? And why aren’t we making sure this potential stays in Wales?
The first phase of the Gwynt y Mor off-shore wind farm off the North coast will produce just under 10% of our national electricity need. This is projected to rise to producing around half our national need in phase 3. While I do have concerns about the scale, it is mostly hidden from view, which is more than can be said for most dry-land developments.
The Syniadau blog has discussed the 30% equity stake the Munich Municipal Utility holds in Gwynt y Mor. See: http://syniadau--buildinganindependentwales.blogspot.com/2010/06/stadtwerke-munchen.html
Munich has long invested in alternative technologies, we haven’t.
Such investment in energy production by our County Councils is not currently possible, but it is a very interesting model to consider. It also raises important issues around the financing and ownership of sustainable energy production.
Faced with a crisis of the magnitude of global warming, we must find ways of allowing communities - large and small - to borrow so that they can be really resilient in terms of food and energy production. Much of the sea bed also remains in the hands of the Crown Estate. Both those discussions need to happen on a National Welsh level and in case of the Crown Estate, in the UK Parliament too.
The Offshore Valuation Group suggests setting up a super-grid for electricity in Europe through which we could sell energy to areas which do not have our advantages in terms of wind and sea. For a copy go to: http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2122775//offshore_valuation_full.pdf.
Not only can sustainable technology help us meet – and pass - our 40% CO2 reduction target, but here is an incredibly valuable resource that we can use to keep Welsh people in work and raise our standard of living.
Plaid has long called for a Green Investment Bank to develop long-term jobs and expertise. I’m sceptical about what we’ll see in the UK Energy Bill but I do hope to see discussions about alternative financial models to promote sustainability in the next few months.
Diwedd y gan yw'r geiniog? As always it does come down to money, but this could be the start of something very big
Last week some friends reminded me that I haven’t said anything about climate change for some time. I spent yesterday evening reading through the Energy Descent Action Plan produced by Totnes Transition Town group. It’s available on: http://totnesedap.org.uk/ and makes some very important points about the need to a resilient (largely self-sufficient) local economy. The authors point out that money arriving in the area leaves it without creating any benefit locally – in paying energy bills, shopping in supermarkets and online and advocate localisation … Sounds familiar?
But it is frustrating to see how few and far between sustainable practices are. Food co-operatives in Wales such as in Cardigan have great potential as does the allotment movement and the community-owned wind turbines at Gigha and at Findhorn in Scotland. But I wonder if the focus on localism isn’t self-defeating when it clouds the need for national action.
Without a doubt Wales can produce more electricity than we need from renewable sources. So why aren’t we? And why aren’t we making sure this potential stays in Wales?
The first phase of the Gwynt y Mor off-shore wind farm off the North coast will produce just under 10% of our national electricity need. This is projected to rise to producing around half our national need in phase 3. While I do have concerns about the scale, it is mostly hidden from view, which is more than can be said for most dry-land developments.
The Syniadau blog has discussed the 30% equity stake the Munich Municipal Utility holds in Gwynt y Mor. See: http://syniadau--buildinganindependentwales.blogspot.com/2010/06/stadtwerke-munchen.html
Munich has long invested in alternative technologies, we haven’t.
Such investment in energy production by our County Councils is not currently possible, but it is a very interesting model to consider. It also raises important issues around the financing and ownership of sustainable energy production.
Faced with a crisis of the magnitude of global warming, we must find ways of allowing communities - large and small - to borrow so that they can be really resilient in terms of food and energy production. Much of the sea bed also remains in the hands of the Crown Estate. Both those discussions need to happen on a National Welsh level and in case of the Crown Estate, in the UK Parliament too.
The Offshore Valuation Group suggests setting up a super-grid for electricity in Europe through which we could sell energy to areas which do not have our advantages in terms of wind and sea. For a copy go to: http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2122775//offshore_valuation_full.pdf.
Not only can sustainable technology help us meet – and pass - our 40% CO2 reduction target, but here is an incredibly valuable resource that we can use to keep Welsh people in work and raise our standard of living.
Plaid has long called for a Green Investment Bank to develop long-term jobs and expertise. I’m sceptical about what we’ll see in the UK Energy Bill but I do hope to see discussions about alternative financial models to promote sustainability in the next few months.
Diwedd y gan yw'r geiniog? As always it does come down to money, but this could be the start of something very big
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