Time to call time on Westminster when the maths don’t add up for Wales
Communications consultant Hywel Thomas looks at how Wales has been repeatedly short-changed in recent infrastructure projects and despairs of financial injustice
FOR a nation famed for its passion and rousing support for its rugby team, we’re surprisingly timid when it comes to making our voices heard on the things that really matter – job creation, health, education, economic prosperity and equality.
What happens to this very vocal nation when the final whistle goes at the end of rugby’s Six Nations Championship and we head back to our day jobs? I wish I knew the answer.
So, what prompted me to write this article? The iniquitous treatment of Wales by the UK government, plain and simple. I could list many examples, but the tipping-point came with rumours that the UK government was set to reject plans for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon. In January 2017 the pioneering project was recommended for approval by an independent review of tidal lagoons led by the former Energy Minister, Charles Hendry.
Harnessing the power of the incoming and outgoing tides in Swansea Bay, it is estimated that the lagoon could generate enough electricity to power 155,000 Welsh homes. The construction period could see the creation of more than 2,200 local jobs. Further jobs could also be created around what would certainly become a major visitor attraction for Swansea.
With our steel and manufacturing industry facing an uncertain future, an escalation of trade wars between the US and its European allies and with Brexit looming, only a fool would turn down a sustainable project like this and all the benefits that it could bring to the local economy. Only a fool or a government that really doesn’t care about the economic prosperity of Swansea, or Wales, for that matter.
Watching, Alun Cairns, the Secretary of State for Wales – the man supposed to be representing our interests – talking about the excessive £1.3bn bill for this project and about being responsible made me feel both sad and sick to my stomach. To see this Welshman, dashing the hopes of the people of Swansea under the pretence of fiscal responsibility was shameful, and frankly, repugnant.
So let me set the record straight and give readers an altogether different perspective on when it’s OK to be economically prudent and when it’s OK to have an open cheque book.
It’s reasonable to spend almost £15bn on Crossrail to serve the people of London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Essex but it’s irresponsible to spend £1.3bn to serve the people of Swansea. Let’s look at some other figures. The cost of Crossrail equates to the total annual budget of £15.3bn allocated by Westminster to the Welsh Government to cover the needs of our entire country, from health to education, and transport to the economy. We won’t have full borrowing powers in Wales until April 2019.
The truth is, borrowing powers and the Barnett Formula don’t mean much to the average member of the public. They just assume, and rightly expect, that the government that holds the UK’s purse strings – Westminster – will be fair and even-handed when it comes to looking after their needs, wherever they live.
A healthy dose of perspective with a few simple illustrative figures can really help us see things in a different light, and more importantly, see things for what they are. I’m not a politician, just a concerned citizen growing impatient and frustrated at seeing people and communities across Wales being short-changed and settling for less than they deserve.
Perhaps it’s time for our politicians in Wales to think about how they communicate with the public – how they translate important messages into language that people can understand. Explaining the funding inequality between Wales and parts of England isn’t rocket science, but it can be very helpful and powerful when it comes to the public making decisions about their future at the ballot box.
A few weeks ago I felt optimistic about the appointment of KeolisAmey to run the new Wales rail and metro franchise. A week or so later it was announced that some of the new trains promised across the network would in fact be refurbished old London Underground trains. I had a sense of déjà vu – of history repeating itself. Almost two decades ago, while working at the National Assembly for Wales, I remember reading a report which showed that the majority of our trains were in fact old rolling stock discarded by the rail network in Scotland. Fast forward 20 years and Wales is getting the scraps again. Wales’ share of funding spent on rail improvements across England and Wales since 2011 amounts to just 1.5%. Crumbs indeed!
Perhaps I’m being cynical, but when the UK government finally announces that it’s going to pull the plug on Swansea’s tidal lagoon, it’s likely to coincide with an announcement approving planning permission for a new nuclear power station on Anglesey. No doubt they’ll roll out the Secretary of State for Wales again, who might say, ‘Look how lucky you are – look what we’re doing for Wales.’
Historically, successive governments at Westminster have given Wales enough money to get by – to exist but not to thrive. On the other hand, governments at Westminster have been able to borrow at will to invest in any big infrastructure projects that they deem necessary, generally in London and the south east of England. Perhaps a prosperous Wales with good transport infrastructure would increase our confidence and even identity as a nation and that would never do. But if Westminster wants to preserve and strengthen the union of the United Kingdom, treating countries like Wales with such inequality is likely to achieve the opposite.
It’s time for Wales to wake up and make its voice heard and call time on Westminster. The alternative is disappointment and frustration for generations to come.
■