Another fun Wednesday beckons. The first question time for Gordon Brown since he decided not to call a general election.
Monday's statement on Iraq was a sombre affair, light on partisan insults. Today's half-hour should be rather different.
The warm-up act, the hors d’œuvre, the appetiser, is 30 minutes of questions to Wales Office Ministers Peter Hain and Huw Irranca-Davies.
The questions were tabled before Parliament returned from its summer break this Monday but that shouldn't stop creative MPs from posing more topical queries - perhaps raising the missing millions from the Welsh settlement in the spending review.
What will be the impact of the deal on the Labour/Plaid coalition government in Cardiff Bay? If the local government settlement west of the border mirrors that in England then councils may find it a struggle to keep council tax rises low in the run-up to next year's elections.
Will the "challenging" settlement create tensions between Labour and Plaid Cymru?
Plaid parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd says Ministers will have to prioritise the policies in their coalition accord: "They may have to make cuts here and there.
"We knew it was going to be tight. It is disappointing, not devastating is it?"
Showing posts with label spending review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spending review. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
All over Darling
Gordon Brown's favourite joke in his old job was that there are two types of Chancellor - those who fail and those who get out in time.
Mr Brown doesn't think he failed. Public spending has soared during the last 8 years, although that rate of growth is likely to slow down dramatically.
So a tough job for the man who's taken over at the Treasury, Alistair Darling, who unveils the UK Government's spending plans later today. Spending will go up but after the years of plenty the next few years will feel like a squeeze.
It's an early challenge too for the Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition government in Cardiff Bay. They have a long shopping list of promises - they'll find out today whether they can pay for them.
We are talking real terms (after inflation) increases, although smaller than we have become accustomed to, so the settlement could be (probably will be) presented as generous or mean-fisted, depending on who is doing the spinning.
If Plaid think the latter they could always blame the colonial London government (I paraphrase) for failing to come up with the money, without alienating their Welsh coalition partners too much.
But with health and education the main winners in England, the Welsh budget should not suffer disproportionately, give or take the odd argument about spending formulas.
More on this throughout the day, but now for something completely different.
I bet you've always wondered how Ministers use taxpayers' money to fund their reading matter.
Here's a list of the subscriptions taken out by the Wales Office, as listed by Secretary of State Peter Hain:
"Dod's Companions, including National Assembly for Wales companion, Vacher's Quarterly,
Economist, The Spectator, Tribune, New Statesman, Prospect, Whitehall and Westminister World, Private Eye, Golwg, Y Cymro, and Welsh Farmer."
Somehow I can't quite see Peter Hain settling down in an armchair with a copy of Y Cymro or Welsh Farmer. Aga Magazine perhaps........
Mr Brown doesn't think he failed. Public spending has soared during the last 8 years, although that rate of growth is likely to slow down dramatically.
So a tough job for the man who's taken over at the Treasury, Alistair Darling, who unveils the UK Government's spending plans later today. Spending will go up but after the years of plenty the next few years will feel like a squeeze.
It's an early challenge too for the Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition government in Cardiff Bay. They have a long shopping list of promises - they'll find out today whether they can pay for them.
We are talking real terms (after inflation) increases, although smaller than we have become accustomed to, so the settlement could be (probably will be) presented as generous or mean-fisted, depending on who is doing the spinning.
If Plaid think the latter they could always blame the colonial London government (I paraphrase) for failing to come up with the money, without alienating their Welsh coalition partners too much.
But with health and education the main winners in England, the Welsh budget should not suffer disproportionately, give or take the odd argument about spending formulas.
More on this throughout the day, but now for something completely different.
I bet you've always wondered how Ministers use taxpayers' money to fund their reading matter.
Here's a list of the subscriptions taken out by the Wales Office, as listed by Secretary of State Peter Hain:
"Dod's Companions, including National Assembly for Wales companion, Vacher's Quarterly,
Economist, The Spectator, Tribune, New Statesman, Prospect, Whitehall and Westminister World, Private Eye, Golwg, Y Cymro, and Welsh Farmer."
Somehow I can't quite see Peter Hain settling down in an armchair with a copy of Y Cymro or Welsh Farmer. Aga Magazine perhaps........
Friday, 5 October 2007
Diary date
A date for your diary, but not one in November. The UK Government will reveal the results of its spending review - and the pre-Budget report - next Tuesday.
A last chance to bribe us with our own money before polling day? Or a long-scheduled piece of political furniture? Today's polls make an election less likely.
The pre-Budget report offers Alistair Darling a chance to respond to Tory initiatives on stamp duty and inheritance tax - two policies that appear to be playing well with voters despite questions about how they would be paid for.
The spending review will set out public spending limits between now and 2011, including the Welsh Assembly Government's budget.
There will be more money for health and education in England, which means a bigger budget for Wales, but the rate of increase will slow down dramatically compared with the past few bountiful years.
Those Labour/Plaid Ministers will find themselves with some tough decisions to take if they're going to deliver the policies they've signed up to.
A last chance to bribe us with our own money before polling day? Or a long-scheduled piece of political furniture? Today's polls make an election less likely.
The pre-Budget report offers Alistair Darling a chance to respond to Tory initiatives on stamp duty and inheritance tax - two policies that appear to be playing well with voters despite questions about how they would be paid for.
The spending review will set out public spending limits between now and 2011, including the Welsh Assembly Government's budget.
There will be more money for health and education in England, which means a bigger budget for Wales, but the rate of increase will slow down dramatically compared with the past few bountiful years.
Those Labour/Plaid Ministers will find themselves with some tough decisions to take if they're going to deliver the policies they've signed up to.
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Illuminations
Another Blackpool early morning. I do feel sorry for those whose journey to work doesn't involve a tour of the illuminations.
In the BBC office - the wintry car park of the Winter Gardens - other reporters on daft o'clock duty shiver and sniffle.
The conference cold is omni-present. Three weeks on the road have taken their toll.
Home beckons for a day or two. A first Sunday off in four. Oh, hang on. It looks as if Alistair Darling is bringing forward the UK Government's spending review to next Monday. Marvellous.
And an election to follow? Another month away from home? Well it looks like November 1 even if Gordon Brown's people say he hasn't made his mind up yet.
What fun. All our Christmases have come at once.
In the BBC office - the wintry car park of the Winter Gardens - other reporters on daft o'clock duty shiver and sniffle.
The conference cold is omni-present. Three weeks on the road have taken their toll.
Home beckons for a day or two. A first Sunday off in four. Oh, hang on. It looks as if Alistair Darling is bringing forward the UK Government's spending review to next Monday. Marvellous.
And an election to follow? Another month away from home? Well it looks like November 1 even if Gordon Brown's people say he hasn't made his mind up yet.
What fun. All our Christmases have come at once.
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Hey big spender?
Next month, Chancellor Alastair Darling will announce the Government's spending plans for the next few years.
In Wales, much public spending is decided by a population linked formula, you know - the one named after Joel Barnett.
Spending per head in Wales has traditionally been higher than in England, although many Welsh politicians argue that the formula doesn't reflect the country's relative poverty.
My BBC Scotland colleague Brian Taylor suggests the Treasury has been playing hard ball in the run up to the spending review and that far from making Barnett more generous the settlement for the devolved governments may be tighter.
Of course, the UK Government could just be lowering expectations to head off demands for a more generous settlement, but it's certainly a twist that will raise eyebrows west of Offa's Dyke as well as north of Hadrian's Wall.
Alternatively, the new "Scottish Government" may be getting its retaliation in first ahead of the spending review's conclusions.
Isn't life grand now the age of spin is no more?
In Wales, much public spending is decided by a population linked formula, you know - the one named after Joel Barnett.
Spending per head in Wales has traditionally been higher than in England, although many Welsh politicians argue that the formula doesn't reflect the country's relative poverty.
My BBC Scotland colleague Brian Taylor suggests the Treasury has been playing hard ball in the run up to the spending review and that far from making Barnett more generous the settlement for the devolved governments may be tighter.
Of course, the UK Government could just be lowering expectations to head off demands for a more generous settlement, but it's certainly a twist that will raise eyebrows west of Offa's Dyke as well as north of Hadrian's Wall.
Alternatively, the new "Scottish Government" may be getting its retaliation in first ahead of the spending review's conclusions.
Isn't life grand now the age of spin is no more?
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