The news that Wales has secured a Barnett consequential for Treasury expenditure on HS2 is a huge victory for Plaid Cymru.
I'll write more on it later.
Update - 19:15, 23 October 2013
Owen has just provided a link to David Cornock's article. It appears to be Jane Hutt's gaffe, but I don't want to do recriminations. I'm just glad that at least three parties, Plaid, Labour and the LibDems all agree that we should get a Barnett consequential.
In fact, now that the LibDems have said this in such an explicit way, Danny Alexander as Chief Secretary to the Treasury might now be honour-bound to pull his finger out and make sure we get it. Or he might just say, "Peter ... who?" The battle goes on.
There's an interesting take on the non-story here. And the Six Counties obviously want the consequential too. It's quite impossible for anybody to argue that HS2 benefits the north of Ireland.
11 comments:
Plaid are so proud they've said NOTHING on it.
Not quite, 15:33. Joni Eds tweeted about it here. And the image was obviously produced by someone in Plaid.
The problem is that there are still quite a few details which aren't clear. I can't find any official statement about it, only the WalesOnline story. That's one reason why I haven't written anything more.
Of course WalesOnline might have got the whole thing wrong. It could be another Cameron Resigns gaffe. But I very much hope it isn't.
It looks like this is wrong info according to David Cornock. The concequentials appear to be related to road projects in England, not HS2, which is still being described as "vital UK infrastructure."
If I had a gun to hand, I'd seriously think about shooting you, Owen. Next time you deliver a message like that, make sure you're wearing a bulletproof vest.
You should shoot me for spelling conseqentials "conceqentials" instead. Red faces all round, methinks. ;)
On a more serious note....
Obviously to err is human, and I don't think Jane Hutt, or Plaid & Lib Dems, need beat themselves up too hard over this. If what David Cornock says is correct, then obviously I'd want to know where the confusion regarding the Finance Minister's letter originated from.
Is this another example of a minister from the Red Tories being exposed as lying to the Senedd?
Jane Hutt is maintaining her information has accurate. So either she or the Treasury are wrong. My gut feeling, without caring particularly which side are 'Red Tories' and which are 'Real Tories', is the Treasury have sent figures to Hutt that involve HS2 causing a change in the Barnett formula. The BBC, Plaid and the Libs have claimed that this = victory for the idea HS2 should give Wales money.
As MH said, this may well now mean the Welsh Government is committed to ensuring HS2 spend now causes a change to the Welsh budget every year.
... change the subject - what happened with the debate on a Welsh cricket team? How did Carwyn Jones vote?
Treasury has admitted it did give Hutt HS2 money (for one year). Shambles. I don't know why we assume the UK Treasury is competent or would be right in this. They're a joke. We need to create a Welsh Treasury and steward our own finances.
I realise it's off-topic, but in response to Anon 16:04, the Assembly agreed without a vote that the decision to creation a national team should be left to the relevant sporting authorities as far as I can tell. Cricket Wales and Glamorgan CCC oppose it, so it won't happen for the forseeable future. I wrote about it myself back in January.
Having scanned the debate I want to bang my head against a wall because Peter Black and Mike Hedges described the Wales Minor Counties side as a pre-existing "national team". I don't really follow cricket, but even I know that's utter rot.
It looks like I spoke too soon when I said it was Jane Hutt's gaffe, and I owe her an apology. Sorry, Jane.
That doesn't mean she's right, just that it's too soon to say for sure. The picture still isn't clear. But I hope she's right.
Post a Comment