A report in the Western Telegraph last week reported that the Minister for Economy and Transport had discussions with Chevron to try and avoid job losses at the refinery in Pembrokeshire.It follows high level dialogue with Bosch which, although too late to stop the closure of the plant and the loss of 900 jobs, may yet see other possibilities emerge for the plant at Miskin.
That is great news and I hope that this now sets a pattern of more regular dialogue between WAG and key employers in Wales.
However, some of us have been crying out for such high level talks to take place for quite some time:
For example, back in October 2006, I wrote the following piece:
"Many of the manufacturing companies which are major employers within Wales are based within the more deprived areas, and I very much hope that Assembly officials are in constant discussion with every single major manufacturer in Wales over their future plans, especially in the way that policymakers may be able to help them in upskilling or upgrading their plants to ensure that they do not move their operations to low-wage economies. Most of these businesses have been in receipt of grant aid from the Assembly Government and one would naturally expect a continuous dialogue between the account managers of the grant programmes and senior managers of the manufacturing businesses.
Communication is key to ensuring that everything that can be done, is done prior to a decision to downgrade or even close a manu- facturing plant. Shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted will not help anyone, least of all the skilled employees losing jobs. No matter how effective 'Team Wales' is at moving in after the plants have closed, the loss of a major manufacturing plant will have significant knock-on effects, not only for employees of the firm, but also for the small firms which inevitably supply these larger businesses with components and services.
I only hope that our civil servants are acutely aware of these inevitable and largely irreversible changes to the structure of the manufacturing sector and are working hard to ensure that we have seen the last of any major closures which could, with advance warning and good communications between government and business, have been avoided."
It just makes me wonder whether WAG actually had any high level talks with the parent companies of the businesses that have closed in Wales over the last two years?
More importantly, how many jobs could have been saved by earlier discussions with the chief executives of the parent companies which are now gone for good?
Comments
You can't have it both ways!
I just hope that you have written a neutral piece and
1)you're not pushing impossible policies which you know the WAG cannot achieve. For example, calling on WAG to postpone the revaluation when the Assembly don't have the power.
2) You don't suggest that the WAG follow Northern Ireland's lead on NDR, when in actual fact they followed the system in Wales
3) That you don't complain that the system in Wales is too similar to that in England when
i)We have automatic rate relief here and is something that England does not have
ii) We don't have transitional rate relief here
4) That you don't argue, as the Cons have been doing, that we should have a transitional rate relief system based on the English model
5) That you don't argue that transitional rate relief based on the English model is good for SMEs
I could go on, but I need to go to bed.
Your party's NDR policies are simply wrong, and you really are losing credibility.
You seem to be obsessed with me 'losing my credibility', something that seems to be in your gift to give to me if I only agreed with your view of the world.
As your points above show yet again, this is at best, selective, especially as the real issue about NDR, which you have yet to address anywhere, is that, on average, Welsh businesses pay higher rates than those in England or Scotland.
Moreover, how can any of your own viewpoints be credible when you claim expertise in this area and yet choose to hide behind a pseudonym or comment anonymously on this blog and others?
Tell you what, if you are afraid to reveal your identity then why don't you write to me and I would be happy to respond accordingly to your comments in detail.
Otherwise, don't bother wasting your time coming to this blog as I am sure your efforts would be better spent coming up with a credible excuse why your party abandoned its promises to cut business rates for 50,000 firms.
Unlike you, I'm not in a position to reveal my identity. I would not have any problem in revealing my name otherwise.
Just because I write under 'Cegog', this doesn't make my points less valid. You can't escape them that easily as people are begining to see through you.
And as for your claim that 'my party' has abandoned firms. Well, thats an interesting point you make as I have equal dislike for all parties, so go figure.
Are you seriously deluded? Where on earth have I made such a claim except in your imagination? Unfortunately, as I expected, you have shown your true colours yet again. This has nothing to do with policy but is clearly a personal issue. Did I run over your cat or jump the queue at your local post office? Get over it.
"Unlike you, I'm not in a position to reveal my identity. I would not have any problem in revealing my name otherwise".
Of course you wouldn't! So what position is that then? Archbishop of Canterbury? First Minister?
Such an observation merely demonstrates, yet again, the level of self-importance you attach to yourself and your comments which, unfortunately, weakens some of the salient points you have made. If you believe strongly enough in something then at least have the courage to put your name to it rather than making lame excuses about your ‘position’.
Again, I invite you to write directly to me on this matter and I can respond accordingly. If you continue to hide behind a pseudonym rather than addressing the policy agenda directly with those developing it, then I am afraid you will merely come across as a sad and obsessive individual who trawls the internet looking to make a point because no one will listen to him.
“You can't escape them that easily as people are beginning to see through you.”
In what way exactly? Oh yes, people have finally realised that I am a Conservative. Are you the only person in Wales who has realised that I am a member of the Welsh Conservative Party? I thought that was absolutely clear to everyone given that I stood for election in 2007. Indeed, the BBC makes it a point of honour to introduce me as “the Conservative Dylan Jones-Evans”. The printed media always introduces me as “Chairman of the Welsh Conservatives Economic Commission”. Believe it or not, when you are penning an article, your own beliefs will actually colour and influence what you write. You should try it sometime.
"I have equal dislike for all parties".
Strange that you therefore contacted a branch of Plaid Cymru in North Wales with exactly the same lines you have been peddling on this blog and others.
If, by any chance, you are not a supporter of any political party, then why have you become an apologist for a party that has broken the main economic promise of its last manifesto and are doing their own dirty work for them?
If you are a businessperson as you claim, then I cannot believe that you really are of the opinion that Welsh business should not be paying lower business rates than their equivalents in Scotland or England. Rather than trying to pick holes in Conservative policy, wouldn’t it be better to offer constructive criticism of how the business rates regime can be improved?
As I said before, if you want a serious discussion about this issue, then get in touch as I would welcome your views. Otherwise, don’t bother posting again as I have neither the time nor inclination to read and respond to such rants.
Problem is that you are now being stalked by a deluded nutter.
Watch out.