Drakeford Challenged Over NI Shortfall
It appears that the Welsh people cannot trust the Labour party in Wales. In the Senedd, the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Sam Rowlands challenged Mark Drakeford, Labour’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance to address his previous statement, that the Treasury “will provide full funding” to deal with the national insurance contributions of public sector employees.
We now know that there will not be ‘full funding’ and the Welsh taxpayer has been short-changed by £72 million.
Welsh Conservatives have repeatedly called for the Chancellor to cover the cost of her Jobs Tax in full, unlike Welsh Labour, with trust in their so-called ‘partnership in power’ now plummeting.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Sam Rowlands MS said:
“Mark Drakeford promised full funding to cover public sector NI increases, but instead Wales is being shamefully short-changed.
“The cost of Welsh Labour’s failure to stand up for Wales on this, is £72 million, and that’s not including the growth-harming effects of Labour’s Jobs Tax on Welsh businesses.
“How can Welsh Labour ever be trusted to deliver if they have no influence over their colleagues in London, simply acting as facilitators of Keir Starmer’s punitive policies?”
Following Labour taking control in Westminster some people thought that the Welsh Labour would find it easy to push for more support for Wales. Yet when Westminster announced the increase in national insurance contributions Mr Drakeford, the politician appointed as Labour’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance, stated in the Senedd that the Treasury “will provide full funding” to deal with the national insurance contributions of public sector employees. Obviously Mr Drakeford’s word is not his bond as the Welsh people now have to supply £72 million there now isn’t ‘full funding’. So with a country on its financial knees where does this £72million come from?
I wish Mr Drakeford could explain himself, much like Westminster’s ‘Rachel from Accounts’ they should clarify precisely what they mean. One of the many things Welsh people deserve is the truth, but if Mr Drakeford isn’t good at sums perhaps this is not the job role for him……….
