Double-dip disappointment as UK economy remains stagnant

Plaid Cymru have responded with disappointment to figures this morning which show that the UK has suffered two consecutive quarters of negative growth, blaming the double dip recession upon the direction of the UK Con-Dem government’s economic policy and the austerity cuts that they have introduced.

UK’s first quarter GDP figures, published this morning, showed a contraction of -0.2% in the economy, following last year’s fourth quarter figures of -0.3%. This means that the UK is in a ‘double-dip’ recession, as consistently warned by Plaid since the 2010 UK General Election when the Con-Dem coalition announced their economic plans.
Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesperson, Jonathan Edwards MP, said:

“These are disastrous figures and this ‘double-dip’ recession shows the abject failure of the UK Coalition’s economic policies.

“These figures show that the UK economy remains stagnant, years after the financial crisis began.

“We are now firmly looking at an economic lost decade – with most of the cuts still to come and most of the public sector job losses yet to take place.

“Worse may still come with the Eurozone in crisis and no real sign of growth in domestic demand as families continue to tighten their belts.

“Plaid have warned since the very beginning of the financial crisis that growth was vital for the economy’s well-being, but the UK Coalition’s package of austerity cuts, job losses and tax rises for ordinary people have undermined the economy and led to the double-dip recession we are now in.
“Our policy throughout the crisis has been to invest in infrastructure projects, such as hospitals, schools, rail and roads, which would have created jobs now to boost the economy and invest in better prospects for the future.

“In recent weeks we have had the Con-Dem’s giving tax breaks to their rich friends who earn more than £3,000 a week while the economy is stagnant. The Tories are out of touch.”

WELSH HEALTH SERVICE

THE FACTS ABOUT 

WELSH HEALTH 

SERVICE

The health services we depend on in our local hospitals are under threat. Labour is in government in Wales – and it is Labour that controls the Welsh health service.

Despite promising just before last May’s Assembly elections hospitals or centralise core health services, Labour is now doing just that.

The Labour Health Minister has asked local health boards to make plans which will lead to downgrading hospitals and centralising core services.

This may all sound familiar to you. That’s because Labour attempted to do exactly the same thing in 2007.

Back then, as a condition of our coalition deal, Plaid Cymru stopped those plans. Together, we safeguarded the future of our local hospitals and invested in them. Now we need to do the same again

                                                                                                          

FACT CHECK

Fact:   Labour is in Government in Wales

It is Labour that controls the Welsh health service, not the UK Government.

Fact:   Labour denied they would downgrade hospitals or centralise health services just before the 2011 election

Now in government Labour is drawing up plans in all areas of Wales that will lead to the downgrading of hospitals and the centralisation of core services.

Fact:   The Conservatives’ NHS reforms are for the English NHS , Labour in Wales is also trying to dismantle local health services.

What’s the alternative?

Fact:    Plaid Cymru is committed to our District General Hospitals and the essential services they provide

Downgrading hospitals and centralising core services causes increased risk for patients and can lead to increased costs too

Partnership of equals: the only positive way forward for the nations of these Isles

25/01/2012

Current devolution settlement will always hold our nation back

As the Scottish Government today announces its plans for the independence referendum, Plaid Cymru’s MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Jonathan Edwards has said that the current devolution settlement delivered by Labour wasn’t sustainable and would always hold our nation back.

He said that public opinion and events had left most of the political establishment behind over further constitutional change and the time had now come for Wales to chart its own course and take control over the vital job-creating economic levers in order to flourish.

Plaid’s Jonathan Edwards MP said;

“As these events unfold in Scotland, people in Wales are already talking about what's best for our nation’s future and considering independence as a real choice.

“The status quo, supported by all three of the Westminster parties, isn’t serving Wales well – and taking greater control over our own affairs through independence, with the agreement of the people of Wales, will mean that we can create more jobs, help our businesses grow and help our nation reach its potential.

“Even for those who believe in the preservation of the UK, a partnership of equals with England, Scotland, Ireland will never be achieved under the current settlement.

“The Labour First Minister has recently made a few belated statements in reaction to events in Scotland, suggesting that making alterations to the makeup of the House of Lords would be enough.

“Public opinion has left him behind on this issue.

“The truth is that a little tinkering on the edges of the UK’s constitution whilst keeping so many of the job-creating economic levers at Westminster, as he is advocating, will neither be sustainable or in Wales’ best interests.

Jonathan Edwards added;

“Unionism is in crisis. The Westminster parties are unable to present a coherent and positive argument for the preservation of the United Kingdom in its current form, or for that matter, in any form.

“The big question that needs asking is if the United Kingdom is so good for Wales, how has it, and successive Westminster Governments, Labour, Tory or Liberal continued to see Wales fall behind.

There’s no good tinkering on the edges as the First Minister is suggesting – we need to know details of exactly what job-creation and economic levers he will support.

“We in Plaid Cymru want our country to stand on its own two feet, an independent nation with the tools to help improve the lives of our people.

“Plaid will be putting forward detailed proposals to the Silk commission on the next steps we want Wales to take to improve the lives of our citizens, create jobs and help our nation flourish. The question now is whether the Westminster parties will join with us in seeking the powers to help Wales chart its own course with the economic levers we need to succeed. 

Welsh election boundary map set to change

Proposals for new Welsh constituencies for Westminster will be released this month, following the publication of proposals for other three countries in the UK.

It is expected that there will be 30 seats for MPs to represent Wales, following the changes which cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600 and introduce a population criterion to determine constituency boundaries.

Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards said:

“Plaid Cymru fought strongly against the 25% cut in Welsh representation at Wales which was forced through by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrat coalition.

“We disagreed with the cut in the number of MPs at Westminster from 650 to 600 and the way of doing this – ignoring community links or history as the most important criterion for a seat and replacing them with a population criterion which will mean constant change in boundaries to keep the numbers right.

“Plaid Cymru have, of course, contributed our thoughts to the consultation and will respond accordingly when the proposals are published.

“However, it is not certain that these changes will take place.

“Many Conservative and Lib Dem MPs who went through the lobbies to back the cut have now begun to realise that they might lose their own seats through these changes, and have to started to fight against them.

“On the one hand, I hope that they are successful because that would be the right thing to do, but it is worrying that ConDem coalition MPs will fight so hard for their own job while consigning more than 700,000 public sector workers to the dole queue.” 

FORGET POLITICS LET'S TALK ABOUT JOBS

FORGET POLITICS

LET'S TALK ABOUT JOBS

Just like you, we believe that there is no issue more important in Wales today than creating and protecting jobs. 137,000 people in Wales are out of work and everyone agrees that the situation is going to get worse.

Now is the time for Wales to stand together and pledge to do whatever can be done in order to save jobs and to protect families.  Unlike the others we will not sit on our hands and let the Conservative and Lib Dem cuts take their toll in Wales in the worst possible way.  It’s time to put Wales first.

This is why we want to see this Welsh government shifting its money in order to;

• Invest in building projects which will help our construction industry. 
• Give greater help to small, local businesses
• Support the survival of our manufacturing sector
• Provide money for people to re-train if they lose their jobs
• Help companies so that they can avoid redundancies

We also want to see our councils treating their workers fairly – we want fairness for all those who work tirelessly everyday for our communities.  We would never treat our public sector workers in the way they have been treated by Labour councils.  Forcing through pay cuts and changing terms and conditions with minimum consultation is not the way to treat a workforce.  Our way is to invite workers to work with management in order to plan a way forward together.

Plaid exists not for its own sake, but for Wales.

We believe that despite the cuts, more can be done to protect jobs and communities. Plaid has a plan that really could make a difference to you, your family and your community. We would urge you to join us in saying that now is the time to make protecting jobs an absolute priority. Like you, we want a better future for Wales.