Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

Freeze money going to Welsh Government, Liz Truss’s top economic adviser said

07 Oct 2022 2 minute read
Matthew Sinclair picture from his LinkedIn profile

Liz Truss’s top economic adviser said that the UK Government should freeze grants going to the Welsh Government to save money.

Matthew Sinclair, formerly of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, wrote that one way to slim down the state was to give a real terms pay cut to the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The devolved nations currently get their population share of money spent in England, but Matthew Sinclair said he wanted to see any increase with inflation come to an end in his book How to Cut Public Spending (and Still Win an Election).

A copy of the book seen by the Telegraph included additional moves such as halving the number of free bus passes for the elderly, cutting non-front-line staff in schools, and reducing money spent on the NHS by 10 per cent.

“Freezing the current grants to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for one year offers a substantial saving, and also means that no services are necessarily subject to cuts,” he wrote.

“Instead budgets received will have to be handled more carefully, with any unnecessary spending eradicated.

“Considering the differing levels of spending autonomy enjoyed by the devolved assemblies, a general freeze will allow each nation to make its own decision over what is priority and what is not.”

Matthew Sinclair became Chief Economic Adviser to No 10 last month. He was previously at the Taxpayers’ Alliance for almost seven years, leaving as Chief Executive in 2013.


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
16 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
1 year ago

This answers the question ‘how can we afford to be independent?’. The answer? How can we afford NOT to be.

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
1 year ago
Reply to  Fi yn unig

P.S. If Westminster decides to bypass the Parliaments and democratically elected governments of Wales and Scotland, this must bring down the final curtain on the Union for which Truss and her party will be solely responsible. These governments must then begin to liaise directly with the outside world on behalf of the nations they represent.

Gareth
Gareth
1 year ago

Neoliberal doctrine, the state must not spend. England is headed there, do we want to go there with them ? To those who still think we are better off as part of the UK, answers please.

Owain Morgan
Owain Morgan
1 year ago

Why am I not surprised that Liz Truss’ Chief Economic advisor is from the Tax Avoidance Alliance 🙄 Also if the muppet wants to advise on public spending he should’ve become a financial advisor 😂😂

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

Crooked Conservative Matthew Sinclair talks about freezing grants to Wales, Scotland & Noerthen Ireland, and say that Instead budgets received will have to be handled more carefully, with any unnecessary spending eradicated, to quote his very words. Oh really. Is this the same Conservative party that wasted £37 billion on a failed Covid Track & Trace app. Who also lost billions more to furlough fraud and faulty PPE supplies to have the bloody arrogance to point fingers of waste towards the devolved nations, especially money spent on free bus passes for our elderly here in Wales. Fool! The free bus… Read more »

Windy
Windy
1 year ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

The way thing are looking pensioners using their free bus passes to ride on buses will be the only way they will be able to keep warm

Ivor Schilling
Ivor Schilling
1 year ago

Arrogant prats like Sinclair create more Welsh separatists with each such move they make. Keep it comin’!

Rhufawn Jones
Rhufawn Jones
1 year ago

Freeze water and electricity supplies going to England!

Last edited 1 year ago by Rhufawn Jones
David
David
1 year ago
Reply to  Rhufawn Jones

As Tryweryn’s water level is low, the “removal” of the dam would not cause too much flooding!

Kathleen Walker
Kathleen Walker
1 year ago

Tax Alliance are thieves using deviled counties to fund English projects and lined Tory amp and business , should go jail for even suggesting such freezes!

Vyvyan
Vyvyan
1 year ago

Another See You Next Tuesday

Windy
Windy
1 year ago

UsualTory drivel but it never seems to make its way to the Tory press or Toryvision for the general populace of the Celtic nations to see as this would fuel support for the breakup of the union

The original mark
The original mark
1 year ago

I did warn you that truss was backed by Tufton Street think tanks, everything she’s done so far has proven that point quite well I think.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
1 year ago

Horrifying!

Quornby
Quornby
1 year ago

Looks and feels like a social climbing yes-man.

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
1 year ago

I want to thank the UK government for its contunued contribution to the Wesh independence movement – what would be do without you ! lol !

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.