Ieuan V Rhodri

Ieuan v Rhodri

According to press reports there was an almighty row in the Assembly yesterday when Plaid Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones gave Rhodri Morgan a roasting on the Government’s appalling economic record in West Wales and the Valleys, Wales’ Objective 1/Convergence fund areas. Rhodri’s rebuttal was that Plaid was essentially miss-interpreting data.

In the public interest therefore please find below a GVA table which shows data on an all Wales basis; West Wales and the Valleys; and East Wales in % terms compared to the UK average. The table was compiled by the ONS i.e the Government’s own statisticians.

GVA per head indices (UK =100).

1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Wales 84 79 79 78 78 78 78

West Wales & Valleys 74 66 66 65 65 65 N.A.

East Wales 102 100 101 100 100 100 N.A.

Source: ONS 2006.

What seems pretty clear is that wealth levels in Wales’ poorest areas has stagnated; that the trend is downward; and that GVA in most of Wales lies at less than 2/3 of the UK average.

To put things in context, West Wales and the Valleys is the poorest part in the whole of the UK.

Is this what Labour call a proud economic legacy?

What Planet are the Tories Living on?

Tory Welsh Leader Cheryl Gillan is quoted as saying as the Independence issue reaches a frenzy, “We disagree with Plaid Cymru whose policies will take Wales down the road to economic ruin….”

I know Cheryl represents a constituency outside Wales, but has anybody told her Wales is the poorest part of the UK with a lower GVA than any of the other nations and regions. GVA in the European Objective 1/Convergance Funding areas is only 65% of the UK average. In hard figures this means that in most of Wales GVA per head is £11,126 whilst the UK average £17,677. Most worryingly, the trend is of a worsening situation.

To put things in context two hours down the road in London GVA is at 140% compared to the UK average – clearly portraying the wealth inequities caused by the prioritisation of the service sector of the South East of England by the London parties, and their clear failure to compose let alone implement a regional economic policy.

Put together with the worst health levels in the UK; the worst standard of housing; and poor transport links - the case for Welsh independence is compelling. The union as it stands is fast moving Wales down the road of economic and social ruin.

To coin a phrase from New Labour ‘things can only get better…’!