Plaid Cymru have called on Prime Minister David Cameron to clarify his Government’s intentions for review into funding in Wales. Mr Cameron will speak at the Conservative Party Spring Forum in Cardiff later today.
Plaid Director of Communications, Elin Jones AM, warned that any such review would be ‘flawed from the outset” if it failed to include the Barnett formula.
Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg suggested that the Westminster coalition Government planned to set up a Calman-style commission for Wales excluding reform the discredited Barnett formula.
Plaid’s Director of Communications Elin Jones AM said:
“The fantastic result in the more powers referendum has given the Welsh Assembly the tools we need to get the job done but just hours after the result, the Tories and Lib-Dems want to erode this progress by further entrenching the discredited Barnett formula.
“David Cameron needs to clarify his Government’s intentions to have a comprehensive and fair review of Wales’ funding.
“Yesterday, Nick Clegg suggested that the Westminster coalition Government planned to set up a Calman-style commission for Wales but gave no indication it would include the Barnett formula.
“A credible commission on Wales’ funding must look at Wales’ funding in its entirety – anything else would be completely discredited and flawed from the outset.
“Plaid Cymru demands that any legitimate Calman-style funding commission should include full reform of the outdated Barnett system.
“There is now clear political consensus in Wales which agrees with the findings of the first Holtham Commission report that shows Wales’ is unfairly funded.
“After 13 years of Labour failure to reform the Barnett formula, Wales is underfunded by £1.4bn. In the coming weeks and months, Plaid Cymru will be keeping the pressure up to ensure this shortcoming is not repeated by the Tories and Barnett is consigned to history.
“David Cameron must now clarify the remit of any proposed commission, and give reasurances that it will include full reform of Barnett. A failure to do so would be a further sign of how little influence the Conservatives and Lib-Dems in Wales are having on their Westminster colleagues.”
