Telegraph complains about Labour-Plaid deal that takes action on second homes
The Telegraph has complained about about the cooperation agreement between Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru that takes “radical action” on second homes.
In an editorial, the right-wing London-based news organisation suggested that the programme will “scare investment away from the Principality and damage its growth prospects”.
Wales is currently facing a housing crisis in which young people are being forced to move from the areas in which they grew up because they cannot afford to get on the property ladder.
The Telegraph also claimed that the people of Wales “did not vote” for what it branded as “the enactment of a socialist/nationalist agenda”.
This is despite Welsh Labour winning 30 seats at the Senedd election and Plaid Cymru 13, which means 43 out of 60 seats in the Senedd between them. This was based on the parties winning 60% of the constituency vote between them and 57% of the regional vote.
Its description of Wales as a “Principality” is also incorrect.
The Telegraph editorial said: “The deal extends free meals to all primary school pupils, expands free childcare and proposes changes to council tax and social care.
“It also pledges ‘immediate and radical action’ to tackle the number of second homes in Wales through the planning, property and taxation regimes.
“These include a cap on the number of second and holiday homes; measures to bring more homes into common ownership; a statutory licensing scheme for holiday lets; greater powers for local authorities to charge council tax premiums and increasing taxes on second homes.
‘Hard to imagine’
It added: “The agreement is essentially the enactment of a socialist/nationalist agenda for which the Welsh people did not vote. It would be hard to imagine a programme more designed to scare investment away from the Principality and damage its growth prospects.”
The agreement between the two parties was unveiled yesterday by First Minister Mark Drakeford and the Leader of Plaid Cymru Adam Price.
It has been approved by the executives of both parties and will be voted on by Plaid Cymru members on the weekend.
The joint policy programme covers a total of 46 areas.
The deal includes moves to establish rent controls, the exploration of a north-south railway, the teaching of Welsh history, the extension of free school meals to all primary school pupils, childcare for all two-year-olds, and the creation of a National Care Service.
It will also aim for the creation of a publicly-owned construction company and an energy company, changes to the Senedd’s size and electoral system, including a statutory guarantee of gender balance, as well measures to promote the Welsh language.
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.
The reason why they want to bring the law in. his to stop small towns in Wales from dying and local people being priced out of the community
And that’s the reason The Telegraph are complaining.
And what do they mean with principality??? Wales is a country, not a principality. They have no idea do they.
why are they worried about investment being scared away from the building society? Or are they actually concerned about the national stadium?
The Welsh Government should be in no doubt as to the onslaught they will face from the London media on this issue. Misreporting and confected outrage. If they are to avoid being bullied and cowed into submission, they really need to prepare well. There are numerous examples of sensible housing market restrictions being applied across Europe and beyond to protect local communities and endangered cultures. Denmark, for example. Or the Channel Islands. In order to fend off the hysteria confected by the London media and really grasp the nettle on this issue, the Welsh Government needs to build and present… Read more »
Well said Cai we need to keep throwing jersey in their faces as well
I mean the island of Jersey
It won’t make a difference. The English media actually wants to see Welsh culture destroyed and the nation absorbed into England. They disguise this by calling the Welsh Government, Labour and Plaid “racist” whenever they try standing up for Welsh values and defending our institutions or democracy. This was always coming though. The Scottish Nationalists warned us.
For your average Daily Telegraph reader the only thing Wales has to offer their version of ‘civilisation’, apart from our water of course, is the notion of the romantic “Principality”, which allows their beloved Royal Family the space to lord over what for them is a strange, mystical, sheep-ridden land. Bless ’em all!
Toff English nationalists still calling us a principality wrongly 400 years later shows me their god damn ignorance towards anything outside their self centred ignorant London bubble.Listening to them is like asking an electrician for medical advice. What the English rags say is less than irrelevant to what we do here in our own country. They are zero to us, so they can continue bleating crap about Wales but we will just get things done for the benefit of our people and not those toff pigs bank account.
With you 100 0/0…couldn’t have said it any better !!!
Since when has the in-house paper of the english nationalist right ever cared about ‘investment’ in Wales or Wales ‘growth prospects’? This is the paper that cheered like mad when thatcher’s uk govt was destroying welsh industries and impoverishing welsh communities.
Well said Leigh. The Daily Telegraph, not unlike the Daily Mail, is read by people who detest every single measure in this deal, especially feeding children, clamping down on property speculators, and defending Cymraeg.
What does this have to do with them? Literally nothing at all. By the way, this is what we voted for and this is democracy in action.
Yes. Otherwise known as “Taking back control” 😁
To claim that the people of Wales “did not vote” for such policies is wrong, as both parties are working together on mutual manifesto promises, it is the English who did not want socialist policies, Wales has always wanted them and voted for them. The more London media kick off about how our Gov are operating, the more it shows how the two countrys are diverging in their political thought process, and how out of step England is with the Celtic countrys, in the way we see our way forward. Indy can not come soon enough, when it does, England… Read more »
They mean “The English people with second homes in Wales” – those are the only people they care about…
Wales does not need nor care for a right wing English newspaper telling us what we did and didn’t vote for. they know nothing of Wales and the Welsh, and for their information, we are not a principality and I ( a Welsh voter) definitely did vote for a socialist/nationalist agenda
The sheer fact that the Telegraph is critical of this means that it is obviously the right thing to do. It is a perfect endorsement.
Since when has buying a holiday home in Wales for the sole enjoyment of a non-resident been an investment in Wales? It’s certainly a speculative investment on the part of those who buy such property, who stand to profit massively, but little or no benefit accrues to the local economy or people beyond a very few skivvying jobs. As for scaring away investment, there have been cases where potential industrial investors have been scared away from locating in North West Wales despite the area ticking all the right boxes bar one: 24/7/365 access to uncongested roads. Anyone who has ever… Read more »
Well said Sion Cwilt.
Yes, all true. But would Welsh Labour (and remember it’s still affiliated and subservient to UK Labour) have come up with such an exciting and radical programme without the input/support/creativity/nudge of Plaid Cymru?
What a way to enhance a sense of solidarity amongst the Welsh population and increase support for independence. The Colonialists have learnt nothing from their escapades in Ireland and the former British colonies, have they? Keep at it! 👍
independance I say & thank you daily telegraph for helping to bring it nearer.
Kick all English Newspapers out of wales 🏴 we in wales have got to stop being little Englanders and and be proud to be welsh start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴 it’s time for a new wales 🏴
Hanner saws, hanner cymraeg, ces I fy’n geni yn Northampton! Second homes are an issue in Lleogr hyfed.
A huge wealth gap in all nations, Cofio 1970 burning of holiday homes yn Cymru. East anglia, Cumbria, Kernow next👍👍
The people of Wales didn’t vote for the current UK government either, so what’s their point exactly?
The figures quoted ignore the fact that turnout was LESS THAN 50%. So in fact less than 1 voter in 3 voted Labour/PC in either of the ballot divisions. Before we have any sort of constitutional changes, we need a referendum
What happens in Wales has nothing to do with The Telegraph, Cymru am byth 🏴