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Conservatives on attack as stats show Welsh have least to spend: ‘Labour not paying off’

20 Oct 2021 2 minute read
Picture by PxFuel

The Conservatives have said that the Labour Welsh Government “is not paying off for the people of Wales” after official statistics showed that people in Wales have the least disposable income.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show gross disposable household income (GDHI) per head for 2019 in Wales was £17,263, compared to an UK-wide average of £21,433.

This compares to £21,978 in England, £19,649 in Scotland, and £17,331 in Northern Ireland.

The part of Wales with the most disposable income per head was Monmouthshire and Newport at £19,273, while people in the Gwent Valleys had the lowest, with a per head average of £15,856.

Welsh Conservative and Shadow Economy Minister Paul Davies MS said that after the pandemic ensuring that people had a disposable income so they and their families can enjoy themselves is more important than ever.

“So for us as a nation to be bottom of the league table once again when it comes to disposable income just shows that Labour is not paying off for the people of Wales,” he said.

“After running Welsh public services and economic development for a quarter of a century, Labour must do better than blame legacy issues, and accept that they are better placed than anyone to foster an entrepreneurial environment in Wales as we strive to recover from the pandemic.

“Sadly, all we get from the Economy Minister is carping on about Brexit or Westminster – devolution is supposed to mean being in charge of our own destiny, yet Labour, as usual, prefer to blame someone else rather than examine its own failures and learn from them.

“We need a wealth-creation strategy: moving to address the brain drain this week is welcome, but it might be too little, too late. We need more direct investment, to nurture start-ups, and improve management of public services in order to make Wales a more attractive place to live.”


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Notta Bott
Notta Bott
2 years ago

Underfund, blame Labour, classic

Grayham Jones
2 years ago

It’s time for a new wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 kick all English party’s out of wales that’s the Tories Labour and all Brexit party’s we
I’m wales have got to stop being little Englanders and be proud to be welsh start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

CJPh
CJPh
2 years ago

So in the current overall system, Wales is worse off than comparable polities – within and without the UK? Hm… maybe if we managed our own affairs? The Tories keep using these sorts of stories to denigrate Labour but keep making the case for our independence stronger and stronger. Diolch, bois! Daliwch ati.

Seriously though, I do wish some Welsh Conservatives and Liberals would finally give up the goat and just form Ceidwadwyr Cymru and Rhyddfrydwyr Cymru. At this point, indy seems closer to reality.

j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago
Reply to  CJPh

Good advice!

Ed Jones
Ed Jones
2 years ago

Paul Davies? Nasty little man… Wales, surely we can do better?! Classic Tory – underfund us and then say we suck. Imagine thinking like him? Imagine hating your own country that much? Shameful.

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

Quote “devolution is supposed to mean we are in charge of our own destiny” . Well if you Torys were to give us the proper tools, like allowing our Gov to borrow against capital expenditure, as you do in Westminster, we may have a chance. Half baked Devolution results in half baked outcomes. Stop running our country down and go and get us what we need. Not going to happen though, is it.

Sion Cwilt
Sion Cwilt
2 years ago
Reply to  Gareth

That’s the whole problem with devolution. At present the only funding comes from Westminster giving us some of our money back,but as you rightly say, then not letting us borrow. The trouble is if Westminster allowed our government to borrow, they’d probably see it as an opportunity to reduce the amount of our own money repatriated.

The only long term solution to avoid Westminster chicanery is independence.

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
2 years ago

Who controls the economy and steals our natural resources here in Wales? All this shows is that we are worse off under Westminster control compared to the other nations because they have more powers over their respective countries. We have the least amount of devolved powers and this is the result.

Arwyn
Arwyn
2 years ago

Tories control the fiscal & macro economic powers that make Wales a peripheral part of the UK economy. Admittedly Labour have not succeeded in altering the trajectory of the Welsh economy (for which they should be held accountable) but it is a trajectory set by the Tory government.

Right now Tory strategy wrt Wales appears to be along the lines of Bart Simpson’s “I didn’t do it!”

j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago
Reply to  Arwyn

Same hair.

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

Maybe the Welsh Labour government does need to improve in a number of areas but the Tories would do better ? Yeah, right, pull the other one !

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago

Good to see Tories sticking up for their Welsh constituents and delivering their “not a penny less” 2019 manifesto pledge ….. oh?

Is this the Paul Davies who was Leader for minutes one? Has he stepped up to cover RT or is he just hoping to sweep his past under the carpet?

Phil Jones
Phil Jones
2 years ago

The more I hear from the Tories and the Labour party the more I realise that there is only one real solution for Wales and that is economic and political independence. If the Baltic states, Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia and little old Luxembourg can thrive why not us? No Nuclear subs to pay for, no aircraft carriers without planes, no HS2 and no Boris vanity projects, and no Royalty we would thrive.

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