The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Tories cling to power thanks to ‘bung’
The £1 billion agreement between the Conservatives and Democratic Unionist Party to prop up Theresa May’s Government led to immediate demands for similar boosts to funding for other parts of the UK.
Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones said the cash injection amounted to a “bung” which flew in the face of Government commitments to fair funding for the nations and regions.
And Plaid Cymru said that Wales should receive around £1.7bn to match the largesse provided by the Government to Northern Ireland as part of the pact between the Conservatives and DUP.
The Welsh Government put the figure at £1.67bn over the course of the parliament.
Mr Jones said: “Today’s deal represents a straight bung to keep a weak Prime Minister and a faltering Government in office.
“Only last week, we were told that the priority was to ‘build a more united country, strengthening the social, economic and cultural bonds between England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales’.
“This deal flies in the face of that commitment and further weakens the UK, and as currently drafted all but kills the idea of fair funding for the nations and regions.
“It is outrageous that the Prime Minister believes she can secure her own political future by throwing money at Northern Ireland whilst completely ignoring the rest of the UK.”
Plaid Cymru’s leader in Westminster, Liz Saville Roberts, said: “Despite Wales voting overwhelmingly to reject the Conservatives, we seem destined to be governed by the Conservatives once again, propped up by an extreme right-wing party opposed to gay rights, who criminalise women who have an abortion and is supported by armed terror groups.
“Any commitments for Northern Ireland should be matched for Wales.”
Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley said: “The coalition of cruelty deal has now been signed and the Tory Government stumbles on for another day.
“Theresa May’s claim her party shares many of the DUP’s values is alarming – which is she referring to? Their opposition to equal marriage, abortion or climate action?
“The Green Party will always stand up against the regressive values of the DUP and work with others to stop a lurch to the right under a Tory-DUP alliance.”