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Friday, August 02, 2024

Welsh Labour - all words but no action

I wrote last week about the need for Wales to follow Scotland and take control of the crown estate here and all its revenues. Here, the crown estate owns about 65% of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed, and more than 50,000 acres of land.

In 2020-21, the value of the estate went from £96.8m to £603m, reflecting the value of the land for renewable development and other projects. The estimated annual revenue in 2020-2021 was £8.7m. That is money that can be invested in public services.

Nation Cymru reports that despite Labour in Wales consistently claiming it’s a firm commitment of theirs to devolve the estate to the Welsh Government, Ministers in the Senedd have had no discussion with the UK Government about making that a reality:

Both the outgoing First Minister Vaughan Gething and Economy Secretary Jeremy Miles said they would back the devolution of the Crown Estate when they were running for the Welsh Labour leadership earlier this year.

Speaking in an interview in February, Mr Gething said: “If I am elected Welsh Labour leader and First Minister, responsibility for the Crown Estate is the most important set of new powers our future Welsh Labour Government would seek for the Senedd.”

Former First Minister Mark Drakeford previously said it could boost the country’s aspirations to become a world leader in renewable energy.

Further reinforcement of a golden rule in politics: Don't believe what they say, believe what they do.

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