Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Liam Byrne isolates Welsh Labour even more
I blogged a week ago how the pronouncement by Scottish Labour Leader. Johann Lamont that Scotland cannot continue to afford policies such as free personal care, free prescriptions, free university tuition and a continuing freeze on council tax has left Welsh Labour isolated within the UK. At the time I suggested that her position left Carwyn Jones out on a limb within his own party on issues that chime with the social democrat consensus that Ed Miliband is looking to embrace.
Well judging by signals being sent out by the shadow work and pension secretary, Liam 'there is no money left' Byrne, there is no consensus at all. Wales is going it alone, and long may that continue. Still,given the way that Carwyn Jones attacks the opposition in the Assembly for the policies being followed by the UK Government, he cannot escape some association with the direction his party is now going in.
The Telegraph reports that Labour will consider scrapping universal benefits such as free bus passes and winter fuel payments for the middle classes if it wins the next election. It is also significant that neither Ed Balls nor Ed Miliband have said they will reverse the cuts being implemented by the UK Coalition, presumably because they very much mirror those being planned by Alistair Darling before the last General Election.
As for welfare benefits, Liam Byrne has called for a review of the strict new tests which recipients of disability benefits must pass, something I support, but has he forgotten that those tests were put in place by the previous Labour Government in the first place? And all the indications are that Labour will cut welfare benefits again if they are re-elected in 2015, as they were doing before 2010.
We will not let Labour forget that the next time they stand up in the Assembly chamber to have a go.
Well judging by signals being sent out by the shadow work and pension secretary, Liam 'there is no money left' Byrne, there is no consensus at all. Wales is going it alone, and long may that continue. Still,given the way that Carwyn Jones attacks the opposition in the Assembly for the policies being followed by the UK Government, he cannot escape some association with the direction his party is now going in.
The Telegraph reports that Labour will consider scrapping universal benefits such as free bus passes and winter fuel payments for the middle classes if it wins the next election. It is also significant that neither Ed Balls nor Ed Miliband have said they will reverse the cuts being implemented by the UK Coalition, presumably because they very much mirror those being planned by Alistair Darling before the last General Election.
As for welfare benefits, Liam Byrne has called for a review of the strict new tests which recipients of disability benefits must pass, something I support, but has he forgotten that those tests were put in place by the previous Labour Government in the first place? And all the indications are that Labour will cut welfare benefits again if they are re-elected in 2015, as they were doing before 2010.
We will not let Labour forget that the next time they stand up in the Assembly chamber to have a go.
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The Welfare state of free bus passes for the elderly, free tuition fees for young people and freezing council taxes for hard working families by the SNP in Scotland has been dismissed by
Johan Lamont leader of Scottish Labour as the "something for nothing culture". Does Carwyn Jones agree with her?
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Johan Lamont leader of Scottish Labour as the "something for nothing culture". Does Carwyn Jones agree with her?
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