Plaid Cymru Deputy Leader Elin Jones AM has said that the Tory Secretary of State for Wales is treating Wales as a “second rate nation”.
In today’s Assembly debate on the Queen’s Speech, Plaid Cymru tabled an amendment criticising the UK Government’s encumbrance of Welsh tax powers with a lock-step clause.
The lock-step clause is designed to prevent any new Welsh tax powers from being utilised, and has been dropped by the Conservatives in Scotland. The UK Prime Minister David Cameron has welcomed proposals to drop the lock-step for Scotland. The Secretary of State for Wales, David Jones, is inisting on retaining the lock-step clause in Wales.
Plaid Cymru’s Elin Jones AM said:
“The Tory Secretary of State is treating Wales as a second rate nation. David Cameron has welcomed the proposals made to drop the lock-step in Scotland, but his Secretary here cannot bring himself to agree. He may think we in Wales are incapable compared to Scotland, or that we do not deserve fair treatment.
“The lock-step clause means that future Welsh Governments have their hands tied by Westminster, and will not be able to get powers to borrow and raise money in order to improve the Welsh economy. The idea is to make the financial powers useless, so that they are never accessed.
“Plaid Cymru is clear that no government in Wales should be bossed around in this way, which is why we are campaigning to get the best possible deal on financial powers.”
