THE SOUND OF SILENCE...

The news that Wales is missing out on up to £140m more per year more than was originally thought because of the unfairness of the Barnett Formula, should not shock anyone. Back in 2010/2011, our country missed out on up to £540m, this makes Plaid’s call for the implementation of a needs-based system, or a short-term solution to make up the shortfall, more urgent than ever. The publication by the UK Government of the public spending figures for 2010/2011, revealed that the funding shortfall for Wales for that year came in at some £540m. This figure is substantially more than the £400m figure that was estimated by the independent Holtham Commission back in July 2010. This should make the case for overhauling Barnett pretty water tight and more urgent than ever. I hope I am wrong, but, I suspect that a combination of a financially challenged Tory driven Westminster government and an inert, inept Labour in Wales Government in Cardiff Bay will means that the problem of the underfunding won’t get sorted anytime soon. So any sound of silence near us in the future will be the sound of Unionist’s working hard for for Wales then...