Welsh Conservatives have today challenged the Assembly Government over the funding settlement for Wales.
Speaking in the Assembly Chamber, Leader of the Opposition Nick Bourne AM questioned the First Minister over changes to the Barnett formula.
Commenting on the exchange, Mr Bourne said:
“The First Minister and his colleagues seem to be in denial about the realities of the funding challenges facing Wales.
“Just last week, we heard one of the candidates for the Labour leadership, Ed Balls, rule out any reform of Barnett, claiming that Wales already gets too much money.
“Commentators from across the political spectrum have long recognised that the Barnett formula leaves Wales suffering adversely and should be replaced with a needs-based formula.
“In his response to my questions today the First Minister claimed that he and his former UK Government partners could not do anything to address the situation until the Holtham Commission report on a new funding settlement for Wales was published.
“The former UK Government had nearly 13 years to bring forward fundamental reform to Wales’ funding settlement but it failed to recognise this as a priority.
“The new UK Government has, in the short time it has been in Government, already recognised the concerns raised by Holtham and has committed to establishing a process to reform Wales’ funding.
“Yet again, Labour and their Plaid colleagues in the Assembly have let the people of Wales down and demonstrated their inability to provide the leadership the country needs to strengthen its financial position.”
