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Opinion

The Chancellor's economic growth announcement confirmed Wales' neglect by Westminster

By Mark Mansfield
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Dr John Ball

If ever was there any doubt about the relationship between England and Wales and the values of the Labour Government, Rachel Reeves economic growth announcement confirms it in spade loads.

There was much wishing, copious use of the words “economic growth,” without too much detail. Except that there was when you get to the southeast of England.

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Insight

Here the announcements and costs revealed an astonishing lack of what drives growth and an insight into the chancellor’s knowledge of geography.

Two costed schemes stand out. A third runway at Heathrow airport with associated buildings, costing a measly £14billion (and costing more than two hundred families their homes).

This will create 10,000 jobs (really?), all of which will certainly be in the immediate area, unless of course those looking for work in the north of England or Wales enjoy a very long commute.

Apparently, this airport is crucial to the economy, which part I wonder.

Ah, commuting. Another costed scheme, this time just £9billion for a tunnel under the Thames to alleviate congestion. So much for encouraging less car use.

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Technology

The chancellor went on to reveal her, and her government’s fixation with technology. Totally missing the point that the UK is well behind the rest of the world in this sector, a new (uncosted) rail corridor will be built to link Oxford and Cambridge which will become – by some unclear miracle – “Europe’s Silicon Valley.”

Did anyone tell her this has been tried before?

Alongside will be a major uplift of the A428, a major link road in the area. So much for green transport.

These will generate £78 billion (yes, honestly) for the UK economy by 2035. No evidence was presented on how this number was arrived at, nice round though.

And it does not end there. Cambridge will have a new hospital, and Oxford gets a new commission to drive regional growth, as if all the other announcements were not enough.

Planning law will change to speed up infrastructure scheme. Much was made of green energy and windfarms, happily ignoring that “economic growth” does not come from importing European made windmills.

In fairness there were some afterthoughts, a scheme to improve Glasgow appeared, presumably the chancellor does not know there’s a government in Scotland that decides these things.

And of course Wales. Despite the opportunity to commute to Heathrow (eventually), there was nothing.

I wonder if Welsh Labour MPs and Senedd members will have something to say? The silence will be deafening, except for those rubbing their hands around London.

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11 comments

Chris Hale

The money being poured into the South-East will be coming in part from us. On the bright side, we will all benefit from the much vaunted “lighter touch” planning and environmental regulation. As someone living within smelling distance of Withyhedge tip, I am waiting with bated breath to see how much lighter touch NRW can get.

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Paul

I’m still trying to understand how all of the building work associated with digging tunnels and building new runways, increasing air traffic and all of the other wonderful things that are going to happen contribute to the government’s net zero emissions policy. When we’re told that we must increase our recycling efforts or we are going to be held responsible for upsetting these targets etc etc. Does anyone else think that all of these clever policies and rules are just Waffly Bo??ocks?

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hdavies15

Waffly Bo??ocks? You are being far too polite there. Reeves and most of Starmer's front row are all major league manipulators misdirecting and downright lying. All this nonsense is so long term that they'll all be long gone beofre any chickens come home to roost.

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Peter

If these projects are viable the private sector will pay for them without government support. Or does that gem only get trotted out by those opposed to investment in Wales?

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Erisian

If only 'Welsh' Labour had the guts to be exactly that and devolve from the English Labour party we might have had a lever or three to pull. Being just a withered extremity they are as useless as an arthritic hand and seem to have as much influence under an English Labour Government as they had under the Tories. Please do remember that we have one viable, genuinely Welsh party when the time comes to vote again.

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Alan Jones

£14 billion for a runway, there's a few chancers around here looking to lay a bit of tarmac or concrete if preferred, very cheap rate mister, your choice mister but we won't be around this way again for a long time mister. You know the type I'm on about🤔.The leccies to install the lights & such might charge a bit more but £14 billion, dear god. That may be the costing for the project today but no doubt at some stage we'll hear that the original cost has risen by at least double if not more as the project progresses. As for the 10,000 jobs well, as usual in these projects that figure will include all the different skill sets that will be called into play. Let's start with the consultancy firms then planners then architect's & so on & so on, these people will come & to taking a good wedge of money with them, at the end you'll end up with some welcome employment prospects but 10,000, give us a break Rachel. Thought I read also yesterday that there's taxpayers money going to rebuild Old Trafford football ground in Manchester. The same old tunnel vision being shown by those within the M25 bubble who certainly aren't looking toward the other end of the M4 or up the A470.

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Dai Ponty

So Labour now in power they are the same horse but just a different jokey as far as Wales is concerned as per usual everything for London and south east of england we do not even get crumbs this time we do normally get some Crumbs but saying that no other place seems to get any investment only London and the south east of England HOW MUCH MORE BLOODY PROOF DO YOU WANT WE ARE NOT TREATED FAIRLY

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Mab Meirion

The source of her ideas reminds me of the 'dice man' a spinning top of ideas, scrabble for the clueless...recycling without a design...Ms Lucas the only voice not locked up... Now I know who Clark reminds me of: Eliot Ness of the Untouchables...

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hdavies15

Above all the sound and the fury, John Ball writes a decent deconstruction of Rachel's latest fantasy. Thank you sir. I don't think it tells me much that's new but it's a well laid out structured piece that does the job of reminding me once again what a shallow shower the UK has installed into government. If we choose to stay attached to this lot for much longer we will become totally assimilated, without identity, as a dump to the west where energy parks and water reservoirs are located, delinquents from English metropolitan authorities are housed, and leisure parks dotted around for those who can afford a week or 2 in a downmarket Centre Parcs.

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Llew Gruffudd.

Good stuff as always. Total agreement, as it seems are most of the comments. Now all I want is for someone to show me how Wales can disentangle itself from this mess. Please don't just tell me to vote for Plaid Cymru, I am depressed enough as it is.

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Peter

Does the UK even need a hub airport? What are the economic benefits of someone flying in only to fly straight back out? Some might say jobs and tax on airline profits but since we hear that Heathrow is refusing slots to important new destinations needed to make a success of Brexit we could tax these transit connections out of existence and replace the flights with new more useful destinations, preserving the jobs and tax take.

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Replying to Paul Cancel

I’m still trying to understand how all of the building work associated with digging tunnels and building new runways, increasing air traffic and all of the other wonderful things that are going to happen contribute to the government’s net z...

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