National politics

[DaveR]

The European elite has treated Greece with disdain, warns leading Welsh critic of single currency.

Thousands of Welsh jobs
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Clearly, we hope that Greece remains within the eurozone and the EU. The EU is Wales’s most important export market, and thousands of jobs in Wales are dependent on exports to countries in the Eurozone. Were Greece forced to leave , the implications would depend greatly on the wider context – namely the political and economic fall-out in Greece and other member states.

“The effect could be very destabilising. We will be following the negotiations closely.”
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/european-elite-treated-greece-disdain-9549963

Greece should never have been allowed to join the eurozone in the first place. Their economy is a basket case, I don't blame the Germans for getting tired of constantly bailing them out. At least John Major had the sense to keep us out of it.

[Merddin Emrys]

Glad it is not just me who thinks that Dave, I always wondered why the weak countries were allowed in, they just suck money from the strong countries, madness!

[Fester]

Anyone who thinks the UK is a 'strong' economy is deluding themselves.

Take a proper look at the debt mountain which has DOUBLED since 2011, and is now a physical impossibility to repay.
See how Govt borrowing actually increases every year, and that is whilst interest rates are at an all time LOW.

Out government, probably more than any other, has been printing fictitious cash to keep the country artificially afloat and it is simply a recipe for disaster.
The financial 'crash' in 2008 was never really allowed to happen, few people even noticed it.
But if they HAD allowed it to happen, we could now have been on the real road to recovery, not this 'Chinese water torture' of more cuts, more borrowing, more delaying the inevitable.

[Ian]

Anyone who thinks the UK is a 'strong' economy is deluding themselves.

You mean, Osborne isn't telling the truth? 

The economy - in terms of the theoretical, somewhat ethereal magical banking economy -  is probably pretty strong, because strong economies which have a cluster of huge banks trading through them rely heavily on debt to keep themselves strong. Don't know why, but they do. The 'Chinese water torture' of more cuts is down to the composition of the government. The Tories prefer wealth to be concentrated in very few hands and they cut for the sake of reducing government - not for any sound fiscal reason. The biggest problem is that no one in the world actually has a sound grasp of international macro economics.

[Merddin Emrys]

I bet that Greece would happily swap economies with the UK!

[SteveH]

Budget reaction 2015: North Wales families will be hit hard by welfare cuts, experts claim

North Wales families and young people will be some of the hardest hit by welfare cuts outlined in today’s budget, experts have claimed.
Chancellor George Osborne said he was introducing a plan for “working people” as he set out the first Conservative-only budget in almost 20 years.

Repeating the slogan “one nation” throughout his over an hour long speech Mr Osborne set out plans to make £12bn of welfare cuts over the next three years.
The Chancellor – who only dedicated one sentence to Wales – cut housing benefit for most people aged under 21, slashed the benefit cap to £20,000, and limited the tax and universal credits to just two children.
This means any third child born after April 2017, unless they are twins or triplets, won’t get support.

MORE...http://www.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/budget-reaction-2015-north-wales-9616546

[snowcap]

I thought what an excellent budget for a change. I also believe the moon is made of cheese, Father Christmas will bring me a new play station for Christmas and i will win the open next year.

[DaveR]

The Chancellor – who only dedicated one sentence to Wales – cut housing benefit for most people aged under 21, slashed the benefit cap to £20,000, and limited the tax and universal credits to just two children.

Good to see the introduction of a Living Wage, that will make a real difference in the local area.

[Fester]

The Chancellor – who only dedicated one sentence to Wales – cut housing benefit for most people aged under 21, slashed the benefit cap to £20,000, and limited the tax and universal credits to just two children.

Good to see the introduction of a Living Wage, that will make a real difference in the local area.

Indeed it will,  it will push up the price of all the coffee's and meals that you buy!!

[Hugo]

A lot was said last year about Tax avoidance  and multi international companies not paying their fair proportion of tax but I didn't see much about it in yesterday's budget.
By coincidence yesterday's Daily Mirror revealed that the Osborne firm sold land to an offshore outfit and the deal avoids £2M in tax.  The transaction was between a British Virgin Island Company,  Osborne and Little Ltd and The Osborne Discretionary Trust.
Tax avoidance schemes will not be tackled seriously while people like these well off politicians are in power and yet Cameron lambasted Jimmy Carr for his part in Tax avoidance but made no comment against his fellow cronies who are equally guilty of the same practise.
The often repeated quotation  "One nation"   stinks a bit

[Ian]

Very true, Hugo.

[SteveH]

Conwy councillors slam Welsh Government's 'crazy' merger proposals

Proposals by the Welsh Government to merge local authorities in North Wales have been blasted by councillors as “crazy, uncosted, undemocratic and badly timed”, as a row over local government reorganisation intensifies.

Conwy councillors at Bodlondeb today voted unanimously to send a strongly worded letter to Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews AM, after he asked authorities for feedback on the plans.
Councillors also voted to use the council magazine Bulletin and social media to consult the public.

The Welsh Government said no final decisions have been taken on council mergers.

Conwy’s attack comes after the Welsh Government published a preferred merger map just before the Welsh Local Government Association’s annual conference in June.
Conwy favours the status quo or a possible merger with Denbighshire, as recommended by the Williams Commission.
MORE....http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-councillors-slam-welsh-governments-9624241

[SteveH]

North Wales must be part of the Northern Powerhouse

Business leaders say North Wales must be part of the Northern Powerhouse proposal that is bidding to transform the economy of the North of England.
The Northern Powerhouse concept has been created to help link the North’s major cities into a collective force that could help tackle the economic gulf with London and the South East.
Former Welsh Secretary David Jones has already said North Wales needs to be part of the strategy and recently hit out on the topic - claiming the region had been ‘shunted into the sidings’.
Now business leaders in the region have called for the area to be involved in the proposals to ensure it is not left out of the loop.
“The population of North Wales at the last census was 688.000, that of Hull 256,000.

“In North Wales we need to be part of the discussions on HS2, we need to be part of the discussions on all infrastructure plans made across the Powerhouse.

“One key reason why is that much of the industry in the North West has a vested interest in ensuring the transport infrastructure in North Wales is fit for purpose to ensure efficient links not just to developments in Wrexham, Broughton and Anglesey but also to maintain an accessible UK/Eire link leading to Holyhead .
“And that is before I get to the needs of the tourism and leisure industry in North Wales.
“Our main tourist market is the North West of England.
“People need to travel rapidly and efficiently to their leisure destination. If they cannot, they will look elsewhere.”
 “North Wales should be part of initiatives like those, capitalising on the global gateways of Liverpool and Manchester to drive the dispersal of international visitors into North Wales and delivering new growth opportunities for the region.”

North Wales chair of the CBI Tracy North said: “North Wales businesses operate east-west, into the North West, not north-south with Cardiff, so the Northern Powerhouse presents a fantastic opportunity for businesses in our region.

“We must, however, be proactive about publicising our offering and shouting about our successes, as this is what the other Northern Powerhouse regional economies are doing. We need to be starting now.
“Our infrastructure still needs improving. Electrification of the North Wales rail line and better direct rail access to the Wirral and Liverpool will help the big proportion of the region’s workforce that criss-crosses the border daily.

“The A5117 continues to be a bottleneck at Queensferry and the A55 is regularly congested. Highways investment similar to that proposed for the M4 in south Wales would add lanes, and remove roundabouts in the western A55.

“Continued lack of access to affordable broadband infrastructure in North Wales could discourage Northern Powerhouse leaders and investors from engaging with smaller firms on our side of the border.”

MORE.....http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/north-wales-must-part-northern-9617206

[Ian]

I certainly agree about electrification. The entire rail network ought to be electrified but, as always, it seems only the South East is considered important enough to require that level of investment.

Mind you, I'd argue that the Snowdon railway needs electrification, too. It might sound daft, but electrification would allow for longer and more coaches, year-round operation and more importantly a much smoother ascent. And I've long wondered why A Trains treat the Conwy valley line with such disdain. They claim the investment in panoramic coaches so folk could enjoy the superb views would cost too much, but that could be an egg and chicken situation.  If the Conwy valley trains were fitted out with panoramic windows and roofs, perhaps a small buffet section installed and a souvenir shop made available then it's possible that the visitors might use them a lot more. After all, the Conwy Valley and Blaenau F are becoming the destinations for novel sports and Arriva could do well from such an investment.

[Ian]

A curious anomaly: why is our productivity not rising? Our productivity is lower than Italy's and a lot lower than France, Germany and the US.

http://visual.ons.gov.uk/productivity-puzzle/