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Mark Drakeford accuses UK Government of running a ‘Treasury for England’ rather than the UK as a whole

26 Oct 2022 3 minute read
First Minister Mark Drakeford. Picture by the Welsh Government.

Mark Drakeford has accused the UK Government of running a “Treasury for England” rather than the UK as a whole.

Under the Barnett formula, Wales is given a population-based share of the spending decisions made in devolved areas in England, such as education and health.

Speaking in the Senedd, Mark Drakeford said that they needed a Treasury which realised that Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland had different needs.

He said that Wales needs “a Treasury prepared to think of the needs of the country as a whole, not just London and the south-east of England”.

“I’m afraid I’ve long believed that the Treasury, driven by the Barnett formula, is essentially a Treasury for England, and that other parts of the United Kingdom simply get the consequences of decisions that are made in that way,” he said.

“We need a Treasury that is prepared to make the decisions that recognise the different needs of the United Kingdom and is prepared to invest in that way.

“Let’s give one example of just how differently things are thought of in London and by the Conservative party: the now-discredited package of tax cuts made by Liz Truss would have resulted in three times as much to London and the south-east than they would have provided to Wales or to northern England.

“[The Welsh Conservatives] were, of course, were very pleased to support all of that only two weeks ago, just as today, they’re no doubt pleased to turn their back on it all as though it had never happened.

“We need a Treasury prepared to think of the needs of the country as a whole, not just London and the south-east of England.”

‘Investment’

Mark Drakeford was responding to a comment by Labour backbencher Alun Davies, who asked when Wales would get the same “priority of investment” as parts of England.

“Of course, the last time we met, First Minister, the Tories were telling us that Liz Truss was the best Prime Minister that we’ve ever had and that Conservative economic policy was unchallengeable,” the Blaenau Gwent MP said.

“We’ve seen some change in that in the last few days. But, what we haven’t seen, of course, is any change in the reality of Tory economic incompetence, which means that Wales doesn’t get the investment that should come to us.

“The people of Blaenau Gwent want to see investment in the Ebbw valley line, but they don’t get it because rail isn’t devolved and the Tories will not invest in Wales.

“First Minister, do you agree with me that what we need to see is not only a change of Government, but we need to see a change in attitude from the UK Treasury that means that countries like Wales and Scotland, and the north of England, get the same priority and investment as London and the south-east of England?”


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Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
1 year ago

Beautifully done gentlemen. A conversation between two Labour members in Y Senedd which sets out the case for Independence.

Brian
Brian
1 year ago

Why is this news? Hasn’t this been happening for decades (under the Barnett formula), and for centuries previous to that?

Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
1 year ago

Mark Drakeford – Unionist – complaining about his Union masters not being fair to the nation he “represents”.
Until he, or his hopefully replacement, stands up for Cymru in a MEANINGFUL way and gets us out of this charade, nothing will ever change.
Y Senedd under a Union obesiant Llafur is a plaything of Westminster

Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
1 year ago

The censor today seems a little heavy handed

Ivor Schilling
Ivor Schilling
1 year ago

Could you gently paraphrase, to share a hint of what we missed?

Cathy Jones
Cathy Jones
1 year ago

If only there was some way, we as a nation of individuals, diverse in origin and ways, some born upon this great land and some by providence brought to it to live here in its awe-inspiring beauty, if only there was some way of us not having all of our financial decisions either made by or stymied by Westminster…but there we are, as MrDrakeford has said many times, he LIKES it this way, he likes us being joined to England and thus ruled by Westminster, he wants that. He wants what we have now and not independence from the system… Read more »

Gareth
Gareth
1 year ago

Can the man not see the contradictions in just about everything he says about the union. We benefit from this/no we don’t, this is good for us/no its not, we are better off here/we are losing out, Can somebody show him what he said last week, insurance policy? We get our share? We all pull together?

Last edited 1 year ago by Gareth
Rhufawn Jones
Rhufawn Jones
1 year ago

Wel Mark, mae’r ateb yn syml. Annibynniaeth!

Frank
Frank
1 year ago

I have said before and I will say it again, Wales, N. Ireland, Scotland and deprived areas of England need an account of all money held in the treasury and the value of all the goodies hoarded in the south eastern corner of England. We need to make sure we all get our fair share if we split before they stash it all away and out of sight which they are actively doing as I speak. They will probably turn around and tell us we owe them!

Quornby
Quornby
1 year ago

How very original of the FM. The last man in Wales to notice our colonial status and London theft.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
1 year ago

I like Mark Drakeford. I hope he leads us out of this unequal and unfair union.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

Mark Drakeford you cannot champion a British Unionism then bemoan the fact that it serves primarily England’s interests first. But this is nothing new. Every past Conservative & Labour Westminster governments have feathered England’s nest to the detriment of Wales . And if you really had Wales interests at the forefront of your worries would support Plaid Cymru’s aspiration of Welsh independence rather than reject it out if hand.

CJPh
CJPh
1 year ago

Wait… They’re doing what??? When did this happen? Golly gosh, thank goodness for the Eagle eyes of Lord-in-waiting-if-you-play-your-cards-right Drakeford. How would we have ever known of this otherwise?

Ivor Schilling
Ivor Schilling
1 year ago

Cognitive dissonance, anyone?

Unbelievable!

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