THE LEADERSHIP DEBATES

In many ways it is simply a matter of fairness - Plaid Cymru, the SNP and the Green Party should be included in these debates. Any TV debates have to be a full and accurate reflection of the choices facing voters throughout the whole UK in May. Plaid, alongside the SNP and the Green Party, represents a progressive anti-austerity alliance which, which in the event of a TV stitch up could end up voiceless in the TV debates. The Prime Minister's motives in relation to his call for the Greens to be included so that his opponents come under fire from the left might be best described as deeply cynical at best. The Conservatives would probably prefer not to have any debate at all as the format of the last leaders debate probably cost them victory at the last UK Westminster General election. Personally I have little doubt that the party formerly known as New Labour would privately agree although for different ‘Ed’ related reasons. The media has a responsibility to ensure that the voters are fully aware that there is an alternative to the Westminster austerity agenda and in the interests of democracy the compelling case for leadership debates needs to continue to be made.

TIME FOR ACTION ON FUEL AND ENERGY

The Con Dem Westminster government (in its recent budget) has failed to deal with the problem of soaring fuel prices something that it hitting all of us, but, has added impact on families and businesses in our rural areas. Plaid has again called for a fair fuel regulator which would cut fuel duty when prices spike unexpectedly by freezing the price at the pump. This week's Finance Bill includes no provision for tackling the cost of fuel, which is one of the main drivers of rising inflation. The Bill faced its second reading on Monday. Plaid Cymru and the SNP tabled a motion of opposition on the basis that the Finance Bill fails to address a crucial issue which is damaging economic growth. Fuel aside, this Westminster Government, which once claimed that it was ‘the Greenest Government ever’, has promised much but has delivered little, failing to tackle our over reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation by developing renewable energy.

Plaid Cymru’s Elfyn Llwyd MP said:

"The issue of fuel prices really is the elephant in the room as far as the Budget is concerned.

"Fuel prices are one of the main sources of rising inflation yet the Chancellor has failed to tackle this problem, instead choosing to introduce tax-cuts for the rich and slash payments for the elderly.

"The Coalition has yet again shown itself to be completely out of touch with ordinary people and failed to act on an issue which affects the vast majority of the UK population.

"Rising fuel prices are a great problem for families and businesses in my constituency.

"It seems that they keep going up, whatever the government claims they have done - and so does the fuel duty that they collect.

"Motorists in rural areas spend significantly more on fuel than those in urban areas. Figures from the Office for national Statistics also show that poorer families spend more of their income on petrol than richer families, so there is an earning effect as well through soaring fuel prices.

"After 7 years of Plaid pushing for a genuine fuel duty stabiliser, it is hugely disappointing to see that neither the Labour nor Conservative governments in London have agreed to this common sense idea.

"Looking at the long term, I would also urge the Government to urgently address the lack of investment in renewable energy that we are seeing at present.

"We have to be moving away from our reliance on fossil fuels and moving towards a greener economy.

"Sadly, the Coalition's betrayal of its promise to be "the greenest Government ever" is making this extremely difficult.

"Plaid has consistently maintained that the future of energy generation lies with renewables and we will continue to campaign hard on this issue, regardless of the London parties' inaction."

SCOTLAND BACKING DEVO MAX

FAIR FUNDING (NOT)

So much for fair funding for Wales, Danny Alexander (during Treasury Questions at Westminster yesterday) admitted that the UK Government is refusing to consider Barnett reform before any wider changes to the way the Welsh Government is funded. This is an interesting decision, especially as the UK Government is literally throwing money at the Scottish Government following the SNP electoral landslide last week, one that will hold Wales back.

Plaid has argued that pursuing a Welsh ‘Calman-style’ Commission prior to any reform of the current funding system would be a case of ‘cart before horse’ and has called for the Labour Government in Cardiff to sit up and pay attention to the gravity of the situation. The reform of the Barnett formula has been recommended by four seperate reports, including the independent Holtham Commission, before any changes are made to the financial autonomy of the Welsh Government, yet nothing has been done.

Jonathan Edwards MP

Jonathan Edwards MP (Plaid’s Treasury spokesperson) said:

“At a time when the UK Government is literally throwing money at the Scottish Government following the SNP landslide last week, I am dismayed that the Chief Secretary confirmed that changes to the way Wales is funded will not take place before their so-called Welsh Calman-style process.

“The UK Government know they are now dealing with an administration in Cardiff Bay intent on holding Wales back and have no need to offer any sort of concessions. The message is clear – vote Labour, get nothing.“Such is the arrogance and ineptitude of potential Labour Welsh Ministers, the significance of the Chief Secretary's answer and its dire consequence for Wales will probably go unnoticed.

"The independent Holtham Commission set out a route-map for how financial reform should take place in Wales - that there should be a Barnett floor to prevent the underfunding of Wales getting worse, then the introduction of a needs-based formula and only then should other financial reforms take place.

“The UK Government should be in no doubt that it will not have the support of Plaid Cymru for any changes to the way the Welsh Government is funded unless Barnett is reformed first.

“The ConDems cannot be allowed to get away with skipping steps one and two by a toothless Labour administration in Cardiff."

THE CHOICES THAT WE MAKE?

Now that Scotland has joined Northern Ireland and Wales in abolishing prescription fees England is the only part of the UK to charge for them. As of today, no one in Scotland will have to pay for prescribed medicines following the move which was brought in by the SNP government. Prescription charges have been falling in Scotland for the last three years and stood at £3 before the 1st April change, which will mean the Scottish government losing out on £57m a year in income.

In reality creating Universal benefits may well prove to be a one way process, as unravelling the decision afterwards may prove more expensive than any revenues that would be raised by any prescription charges raised. At the end of the day it comes down to a matter of choice, private prescriptions have certainly not ceased to exist, only prescribed medicines are universally free.

There is a degree of irony here, in that this move in Scotland comes on the same day that charges per item rise in England by 20p to £7.40. However, despite the charge, 90% of items dispensed are given out free as children, those on low incomes and cancer patients are exempt.Under devolution, Wales was the first part of the UK to make prescriptions free back in 2007 and Northern Ireland followed in 2010.

FUEL PRICES DEBATE

Plaid and the SNP have a debate at Westminster (this afternoon) which will help to pressurise the UK government into taking action on rising fuel prices (which is hitting all of us either directly or indirectly). Plaid and the SNP are calling for the Con Dem Government to consider a regulator to cut fuel duty when oil prices rise. Both parties will make their case during an opposition debate in the Commons.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Transport, Jonathan Edwards MP, said:

“Plaid Cymru and the SNP recognised this problem long ago – we pushed for it in Budgets in 2005 and 2008 with widespread support from real people outside parliament. Unfortunately, Labour stubbornly ignored the problems of rising fuel prices while the Conservatives scared of supporting our idea decided to steal it, water it down and re-brand it as their own. There has been a massive hike in the cost of fuel recently, not all of it down to the rising cost of oil. The Tory-led Government's VAT increase and fuel duty hike have pushed the price of a litre up by at least 3.5p in the last month alone.Businesses and especially families in rural areas, especially in many parts of Wales, where a car is a necessity not a luxury are those who are facing the pain because of these choices. For the short-term we need to have a fuel duty stabiliser and a special price for fuel in rural areas, but we also need to diversify and invest in renewable energy alternatives to reduce our reliance upon oil and other fossil fuels.”

SNP Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP said:

"This may be the only opportunity MPs will have to debate fuel prices ahead of the Budget in March and the fuel duty increase in April, and so it is crucial that we persuade the Tory-led government to honour its pre-election pledge and establish a fuel duty regulator.The country is crying out for action to bring down fuel prices, and this SNP / Plaid debate will be a focus for that. Westminster's inaction has made this an enormous issue for the Scottish Parliament elections in May. Its a huge issue on the doorstep and the forecourts because and a key illustration of why we need to build up Scotland’s Parliament, and equip it with the full powers of financial responsibility. A Fuel Duty Regulator – which the Tories supported before the election – would bring duty down when oil prices go up. Cutting fuel by 10p per litre in Scotland would only cost about half of the estimated £1 billion in extra revenue the Treasury is set to rake in as a result of rising oil prices. It's a national scandal that in Europe's oil-richest country, Scots are paying among the highest fuel prices.”

Plaid Cymru / SNP motion:


This House notes the oil price has reached $100 a barrel; that diesel in the UK is the most expensive in Europe; further notes that the combination of the 1 January 2011 duty rise and the VAT increase is estimated to have added 3.5p to the cost of a litre of fuel; acknowledges the sharp rises in fuel prices over the past year and the resulting impact on headline inflation figures; recognises the financial pressure this places on hard pressed families and businesses already struggling with high inflation and the impact of the recent VAT rise; condemns the government's continued dithering over the implementation of a fuel duty regulator (or stabiliser) as neither a sustainable or stable way to make tax policy; further recognises the specific additional fuel costs for those living in remote and rural parts of the UK; is concerned that diesel in such places is approaching £7 per gallon; condemns the Government for its failure to prioritise the implementation of a fuel duty derogation; and calls for the introduction of a fuel duty derogation to the most remote areas at the earliest opportunity.

The Conservative Party had promised to look into a "fair fuel stabiliser" in their election manifesto, back in January, David Cameron was considering ways to help cash-strapped motorists. More recently, however,  Cameron has played down the possibility of a "fair fuel stabiliser" to limit fuel duty rises. The fact that UK Government benefits to the tune of 600 million a week in fuel duty may be a contributory factor in relation to the PM’s indecision, just as it was with former New Labour PM, Gordon Brown, perhaps Mr Cameron should declare an interest?

THE WAVEOF THE FUTURE

In Scotland, the SNP Government is overseeing the development of a new generation of prototype wave power machines. This as Alex Salmond has pointed out is "another significant step" in Scotland's journey to become the green energy powerhouse of Europe.

The wave power machine, which was built in Leith, is some 180m long, weighs 1,500 tonnes and can produce 750kW of electricity. The Vagr Atferd generator is being transported to Orkney, where it will be tested in situ for three years to prepare it for commercial use. 

I mention this for a variety of reasons, one being that if you have proper powers in relation to energy development and the political will it is amazing what you can achieve. Also, energy (and energy cost) is a key issue in Scotland, there was a debate in the Scottish Parliament (on the 21st April 2010) which looked at the charges that Scotland pays to connect to the National Grid.

Basically it works like this; electricity produced not far from me here can cost me far more per kilowatt than it can someone who lives in the south-east of England. In Scotland, electricity industry leaders have been demanding an end to the 'unfair' practice, saying that these costs may have an impact on the development of some renewable electricity generation projects causing some to be delayed or abandoned.

Now transmission charges, which electricity generators pay for the cost of the national electricity grid, are a touchy subject not just for energy producers but also for energy users. The charges vary according to how far a power source is located from the main centre of demand, which is London.

So what this means is that in the north of Scotland for example, generators are charged £20.08p per kilowatt but in Central London a power source receives a subsidy of £6.41p per kilowatt. Subsidies are payable across most of southern England.

The National Grid naturally argues that the differentials encourage companies to locate power plants close to demand centres, cutting the costs of the national transmission network and reducing consumers' bills. National Grid are also on record arguing that stronger winds in northern Scotland meant that wind farms situated there generated more power than their southern counterparts and logically could afford to pay the higher transmission changes.

National Grid, a private company regulated by Ofgem, has been looking at how the costs of providing this infrastructure can be recovered from electricity producers and consumers. It has been using its existing pricing, which is already controversial in Scotland because it imposes higher charges on Scottish electricity producers to compensate for the cost of sending power to the main areas of demand in southern England.

The bottom line is that because Scotland generates more power than it consumes and decide to send it south to England they get penalised. While this may be a fact of life, it is decidedly unfair. This is all relevant because, according Jane Davidson AM, the Environment Minister to Wales (July 31, 2009) in Wales we use around 24 TWhr of electricity per year. WAG back in July 2009 then believed that with sufficient innovation and investment, the right Government framework and public support, Wales could produce over 33TWhr per year of electricity from renewable sources. 

For the record, in Scotland, which has a far stronger devolution settlement, has full powers for energy projects over 50mw. These powers for Wales now lie with New Labour’s lasting legacy - the unelected Infrastructure Planning Commission. The IPC is based outside of Wales and contains no representative or commissioner from Wales, yet is involved (as of 31st March 2010) in 9 projects either or the Welsh coast or in Wales. 

Interestingly enough successive Scottish administrations regardless of their political hue have pursued energy agendas which have ruled out nuclear power. One thing is certain we need a real debate about developing an energy strategy for Wales, one that encourages and empowers small energy producers.

To do this properly we need to make sure that the issue of the devolution of power consents for power stations over 50 Megawatts takes place sooner rather than later. In the meantime, National Grid must be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospects of more revenue. Potential alternative and sustainable energy generators in Wales beware…

A FOREIGN POLICY FARCE

Last week we saw the three London parties on television squabbling and bickering with each other in an increasingly desperate attempt to create some sort of impression that they actually offered the electorate something different. The convenient tactical exclusion of the Plaid (and the SNP) enabled them to not so cunningly conceal their planned cuts for the Welsh budget.


Tonight it will be the same old, same old, except that this time they will be discussing the field of foreign affairs. Plaid's solid record of opposition to New Labour's Wars and its stand in support of the welfare of our troops, their families and service veterans is well documented.

So it should come as little surprise to the impartial observer that the metropolitan media chiefs have once again managed to conveniently exclude Plaid (and the SNP), not doubt they will also manage to gag tonight’s audience (just like last week).

Democratic debate, the phrase stage managed farce comes to mind...

AMEASURE OF BALANCE (NOT)

The SNP and Plaid Cymru are absolutely right to appeal against the decision by the BBC not to include their leaders in a televised UK general election debate. Alex Salmond and Ieuan Wyn Jones have written to the BBC Trust to request an oral hearing to appeal against the BBC executive's decision.

The pair are understandably angry their parties will not be represented in three debates to be televised on the BBC, ITV and Sky. While the BBC somewhat self righteously argues it has clearly set out how impartiality will be achieved, one wonder how a measure of balance and impartiality will be achieved and maintained if the Plaid and SNP leaders in Westminster are conspicuous by their absence.

4 Wales, 4 Scotland

The leaders of the SNP and Plaid Cymru, Alex Salmond MSP and Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, have unveiled '4 Wales, 4 Scotland' - the SNP and Plaid Cymru's joint agreement to secure a better deal for the people of Scotland and Wales in the event of a hung parliament.



The key elements of the four part programme will be:

• Fair funding for Wales and Scotland

• Protecting local services and the most vulnerable

• Action to help the green economy

• Support for business growth
  

Wales and Scotland will need strong representation, as both New Labour and David ('Call me Dave') Cameron's Tories are threatening particularly deep and particularly harsh cuts which will seriously damage and endanger Scottish and Welsh economic recoveries. A hung parliament would be the best result, with more Plaid and SNP MP's, especially when you have the Chancellor Alistair Darling already admitting that any cuts planned by the New Labour Government will be "harsher and deeper" than those inflicted during the Thatcher era, then Wales and Scotland needs a strong bloc of SNP and Plaid MPs, who can influence and win vital concessions for Wales and Scotland.

ON THE BEAT

The Scottish SNP Government has hit its target of boosting police officer numbers in Scotland early. The number of Scottish police officers has increased from 16,234 in May 2007 to 17,278 officers in June 2009. The Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said there was now a record number of police on the streets. While there has been the usual muttering from the usual Unionist Opposition party suspect’s who have accused SNP ministers of political grandstanding, several Scottish Police forces have seen an increase in the last quarter, including Strathclyde Police which recruited 186 officers. The Strathclyde force currently employs 8,051 officers. The Scottish Government said the number of police officers would continue to rise as the Scottish Government invests £23bn between 2008 and 2010 to ensure that local authorities have the resources they need to deliver services.

Pity we don’t have the Ministry of Justice’s powers over policing here in Wales…