Skip to main content

Predictably disappointing

Alun Ffred today gave support for the Assembly Government's rate relief scheme in the Western Mail (and which is discussed in the article below).

His response was, to say the least, predictable (in attacking UK Conservative policy from eleven years ago) and disappointing (in that he defended a decision essentially made by a Labour Minister before May 2007).

Whether it was also hypocritical, I will let others judge, especially given what he said twelve months ago before his party joined the OneWales Government:

"Four hundred Gwynedd businesses are set to lose out due to the Labour Assembly Government’s new business rate relief scheme. Among those concerned is Geraint Thomas who has just set up a picture gallery in Caernarfon. Alun Ffred says: The total loss in Gwynedd could be £2m. These changes show how out of touch New Labour is with more rural parts of Wales".

or

Alun Ffred Jones AM, Plaid’s spokesperson on the economy said that it was vital that the Assembly Government recognise the contribution that small businesses make to the Welsh economy by enhancing and extending the relief scheme for business rates.
The Arfon AM commented: “Plaid’s proposals to enhance the present relief scheme were welcomed by small businesses the length and breadth of Wales. By bringing our proposal to the chamber we are looking to turn our manifesto commitment into positive action for the people of Wales.”

Comments

Anonymous said…
Why are you surprised? Plaid will say and do anything to stay in power. Alun ffred is the norm, not the exception. They no longer have any principles, as recently seen in Gwynedd and have forgotten their roots. As for referring to 1997, what do you expect from a party where they still refer to mrs thatcher as the bogeywoman.
May 13, 2008 7:23 pm
Anonymous said…
This a clear betrayal of small businesses. They will not forget this at the 2011 elections
May 14, 2008 7:00 am
Anonymous said…
I wonder what Dafydd Wigley has to say about all this? He is most definitely out in the cold if his main policy has been dunped by his own party.
May 14, 2008 9:37 am
Welshwalker said…
Well, yes it is hypocritical. So there.
May 14, 2008 6:52 pm
Anonymous said…
Plaid said in the One Wales Document that if it got into government it would bring back the rural rate relief of 50% for small businesses. Well, it's in power and what has happened......nothing.
As usual "Iuean Air" is full of the stuff !
May 16, 2008 1:01 am
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE CRACHACH

Unlike me, do you consider yourself part of 'the establishment' here in Wales?  As thousands gather for the Eisteddfod in Mold this morning, they will, according to some social commentators, not be participating in the greatest cultural festivals of Europe. Instead, they will merely be bit-part players in one of the annual gatherings of the great and good of Wales.  Unkindly, this set of the movers and shakers in Welsh society is known as 'the crachach' , and constitute a social class all of their own, dominating the educational, cultural and media sectors of Wales and allegedly looking down upon any outsider with new ideas, reinforcing mediocrity and failing to see beyond the limits of their own narrow experience.  They are said to live in a comfort zone that awaits the expected invitation to the next glass of chilled chardonnay and canapés, forgetting that due to their lack of leadership and drive, Wales remains firmly rooted to the bottom of the UK prosperity league ...
30 comments
Read more

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CREATIVE CLASSES

One of my favourite academic books of the last two decades must be the “Rise of the Creative Classes” by Professor Richard Florida.  This was one of the first detailed studies of the growing group of individuals who use their creativity and mental labour to earn a living and not only included those in arts and entertainment, but also people working in science and technology as well as knowledge-based professions such as healthcare, law, business, and finance.  Fast forward to 2022 and Professor Florida has written an updated report on the creative classes although he and his team now identify a different type of individual who is taking full advantage of the growth in digital platforms, social media, and online marketplaces.  Such ‘creators’ are defined as those who use digital technology to make and publish unique creative content, whether in the form of video, film, art, music, design, text, games, or any other media that audiences can access and respond to.  They ...
Read more

THE FUTURE FOR SILICON VALLEY

During the last twenty years, there have been many academics, politicians and policymakers (including yours truly) who have looked over to the innovation developed in Silicon Valley, California and wondered if we could ever emulate that success here in Wales. Whilst the former First Minister Rhodri Morgan proposed only last week that South Wales could become the “UK’s answer to Silicon Valley”, he is not alone in the world with such a suggestion for his local area. With imitation often being the sincerest form of flattery, many others regions across the globe have tried to emulate the ‘secret sauce’ that has led to this small valley to the South East of San Francisco becoming the seedbed for world-leading companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Apple and Google. But after fifty years of success, can it maintain its position as the premier location for innovation in the World? This is a question that its own business community has recently been asking itself. This has culminated in a...
Read more