ON Tuesday the new Tory Chancellor of Exchequer will deliver an emergency budget and I believe that this is something that everyone in Wales should be worried about, as the reality of having a Tory government in London is beginning to emerge.
The ConDem government proposes to make cuts of up to £6 billion and the effect that these cuts will have on Wales demonstrates how far removed the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are from our communities in Powys.
We all agree that we need to tackle the financial deficit that has been created in the UK but the plans by the new ConDem Government will potentially have a massive detrimental impact on public services across the county.
Most leading economies are waiting for a sustained recovery before cutting public funding but the ConDem Government’s proposed savage cuts will undermine our economic recovery and could potentially lead to a double-dip recession.
Even more worryingly, the planned emergency budget will impose ‘in-year’ cuts on the Welsh Assembly Government. In simple terms, the new ConDem Government is going to cut the budgets that the Welsh Assembly Government has already allocated to front line services such as local Government, hospitals and schools across Powys for a financial year that has already started.
These budgets have already been set, and these plans will be disastrous for public services here in Wales. The Assembly and Assembly Government have no power to prevent these cuts.
These cuts are of course a double whammy for us in Wales as four independent reports have also identified that the Welsh Assembly Government has been underfunded by £8.5 billion over the last decade.
The Tories and the Lib Dems need to fully understand the situation here in Wales and I hope the new MP for Montgomeryshire understands the seriousness of his party’s actions.
I would urge him to make representations on behalf of his constituents in London to ensure that services in Powys aren’t affected.
I’d like to take this opportunity as well to inform local businesses about this year’s National Tourism Awards for Wales.
Visit Wales is staging the National Tourism Awards to recognise the value of the tourism industry to Wales and to applaud the dedication and professionalism of those who, 12 months a year, offer a warm welcome to Wales.
These awards are an excellent opportunity for us to showcase the very best Powys has to offer, and reward businesses that work hard to provide a great visitor experience for the thousands of people who visit the county and the whole of Wales. Tourism is such an important industry for Wales and contributes around £3.5 billion a year to the economy and employs up to 100,000 people at the peak of the season.
Prizes will be awarded in 11 categories including ‘Best Visitor Experience’, ‘Best Event’ and ‘Best Place to Stay’ and wouldn’t it be fantastic to see some of these awards heading to Powys.
The closing date for nominations is June 25 and if you’re interested in entering please visit the following website – www.ntawales.com.