tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2069212153482249376.post1472748298690941758..comments2023-07-16T11:22:14.708+01:00Comments on Gareth Hughes: Less in the pocketGareth Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14811374617896851568noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2069212153482249376.post-74938477040213847512012-08-02T00:48:08.014+01:002012-08-02T00:48:08.014+01:00As long as we have an economic strategy for Wales ...As long as we have an economic strategy for Wales designed in London and dictated by the needs/whims of the City, we will remain poor. It's a chicken and egg situation - the only way to overcome this is to have an economic policy designed in Wales for Wales.<br /><br />ps don't feed the trollPlaid Whitegatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05757898330400853732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2069212153482249376.post-3157395587577784532012-08-01T20:02:34.540+01:002012-08-01T20:02:34.540+01:00Entirely agree. We need an independent Wales, almo...Entirely agree. We need an independent Wales, almost no public sector and certainly no welfare. <br /><br />Welsh people have got to learn to work. Work for less than the English, a lot less. And work for longer hours. And learn to create businesses. And learn how to export. And how to interact with other cultures. And learn what the meaning of customer service is.<br /><br />Oh, such a lot of learning. And such a lot of hardship. But the sooner we start the sooner we will catch up with the rest of the world. Five generations should do it.kphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03313438657508449613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2069212153482249376.post-46360309307240988442012-08-01T18:07:18.343+01:002012-08-01T18:07:18.343+01:00"To change this the whole economic armoury ne..."To change this the whole economic armoury needs to be devolved"<br /><br />That seems perilously close to independence!<br /><br />Good comment, on the whole!maen_tramgwyddnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2069212153482249376.post-33123866433819445242012-08-01T16:53:21.408+01:002012-08-01T16:53:21.408+01:00The general drift of the blog was that if we persi...The general drift of the blog was that if we persist with a rock bottom economy then less and less expenditure would occur and Wales GDP would continue to be rock bottom. The tax base of the economy would continue to shrink. To change this the whole economic armoury needs to be devolved .Gareth Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14811374617896851568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2069212153482249376.post-63153881941135270852012-08-01T15:57:06.170+01:002012-08-01T15:57:06.170+01:00I don't understand this, Gareth- "Unless ...I don't understand this, Gareth- "Unless there is a change in the economy of Wales the tax raised here wouldn’t pay for an eisteddfod, let alone the expenditure of the Assembly. Raising taxes on a poor people is not a good basis for going forward."<br /><br />The tax raised in Wales according to Holtham is £18-19bn, more than the expenditure of the Assembly which is £14-15bn. The bit we can't afford is the stuff on top of the Assembly, pensions and benefits mostly.<br /><br />We wouldn't have to raise taxes on anyone, let alone poor people.<br /><br />Devo-max on the other hand, which you call for, would actually expose Wales too much because we'd lose the block grant and only have the £18-19bn of taxes, and have to pay for welfare (unless you're on about a Welsh version of devo-max which I don't know about yet).<br /><br />So not sure what you're getting at here Gareth.<br /><br />What Wales needs is what you say, our own hands on the economic levers, along with a fairly funded block grant. The right ratio, as suggested by Holtham in his latest article, as well as by Eurfyl ap Gwilym is 50% Welsh taxes and 50% Welsh block grant (needs calculated). Wales would still have a basic and fair safety net and would be able to fiddle with its own taxes- and pay for any consequences.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com