Having just got back from Hong Kong this morning, I hadn't managed to make a cup of tea before an email came through about Mohammed Asghar's 'crossing of the floor' to the Welsh Conservatives.Considering the over-reaction on the Welsh blogosphere to an event that happens with regularity in most other democratically elected institutions, I just wonder what the reaction would have been if it had been a Conservative AM defecting to Plaid Cymru?
Anyway, politics aside, it would seem that in the important business of the Welsh economy, nothing much changes.
For example, yet another Welsh Assembly Government contract - this tiem from DCELLs - has gone outside of Wales, this time to a Manchester-based advertising company to undertake a campaign to support the take-up of apprenticeships in Wales.
Given that we have excellent companies such as Freshwater, Golley Slater and a host of other marketing firms here in Wales, you have to wonder what is going on, especially as I doubt that any of the marketing executives within this company will be based permanently in Wales.
I know that Carwyn Jones is on record as stating the importance of the public sector purchasing power in supporting Welsh business.
Perhaps one of his first jobs in power will be to ask his civil servants to ensure that this finally happens in reality.
Comments
Aiming to become an MP is fine but god where does he stand, it looks like he enjoys the pay day not the politics.
You could no more than have Welsh contracts for Welsh firms, than you could have British jobs for British workers - and we all saw how Gordon Brown came unstuck about that.
It's up to Welsh companies to sharpen up their act and be more competitive, not expect the work by some God-goven right.
I find it difficult to believe that you would support companies coming into Wales to do jobs that welsh companies could readily undertake.
My point is simple - there is an increasing number of contracts going outside of Wales at a time when we should be maximisising public sector spend in Wales where possible.
Utilising a 'food miles' or local sustainability clause in the marking criteria for contracts would be one way to do this.
If, after this, non-Welsh companies offer still the best contract, then Wales gets real value for money.
Therefore, if contracts are going outside of Wales, what you need to raise the quality of companies or, if that is still not getting them the contracts, adopt criteria which take into account the impact of giving such contracts on the local economy in terms of employment.
If a company from manchester is not willing to create jobs in Wales as a result of publicly funded contracts, then there should be procurement rules in place to ensure that they shouldn't get the work.
If outside companies are going for the tiddlers as well as the big fish , local consultancies will die off
How can it be worth a major London based company going of £9K jobs in the Valleys.
Interestingly most of merthyrs contracts go over the border - I wonder why
And EU law makes choosing local companies because they are local illegal.
One way to ensure an advantage for local business would be to demand linguistic considerations - for instance Gwynedd County Council stipulates that all external material be made available to the council bilingually (Not, I admit, for "protectionist" reasons, but the effect is similar). But outside of the Welsh speaking areas, this is much more difficult and possibly counter productive.
Here is one of the positives possible from a stronger uptake of Welsh language in less traditional areas, but one that is sadly rarely (never?) spoken about in the generally Left-ish wing National Movement