Wales should not aspire to mediocrity
WM Business Editor Sion Barry writes in the WM, June 26, to suggest Alun Cairns has done positive things for Wales and is not an absolute failure, as his record on the tidal lagoon and electrification of the railway line to Swansea would suggest, citing two City Deals for south Wales and the prospect of a Growth Deal for north Wales, together with a “floor” on the Barnett formula as Mr Cairns’ achievements.
However, the House of Commons 2017 City Deals Briefing Paper shows that up to 2016 there were 27 City Deals (including Glasgow) with none in Wales. Since then there have been further City Deals, four in Scotland and only two in Wales (Cardiff ). The fact that Alun Cairns has failed until now, when the Conservatives were running out of cities to give deals to, is surely not something he can boast about? Being at the back of the queue for this investment is hardly an achievement.
With regards to him getting a “floor” to the Barnett formula is again hardly a success given Scotland got a “Vow” from Westminster in their independence referendum to keep a Barnett formula that gives more money to Scotland than would be allocated on a fair and just “needs”-based system. Wales’ “floor” simply means we’ve agreed to be treated unfairly but at least Westminster has accepted the unfairness is not bottomless, as it was previously.
Sion Barry’s article seems to suggest that, for a Welsh Secretary with failure being the norm, occasionally avoiding absolute failure and achieving mediocrity is the best we should hope for, which is a great tragedy. Chris Lewis Cardiff Barnier. Boris Johnson says we will become a colony of Europe when there is the very real danger that we will become a colony of Trump’s America and the victim of his trade wars with Europe and China.
The divisions in the Tory Party which Cameron foolishly thought could be resolved by the referendum are now nationwide along very similar lines to our previous civil war. The only answer is a general election on the crisis confronting our country with all candidates free to campaign truthfully on the real issues concerning our EU membership.
With the future of our economy, our democracy and even our independence from America at stake we must take back control. Margaret Phelps
Penarth