Today’s announcement of over £6 billion worth of cuts in the UK’s budget will be very challenging for Wales.
During the election, no-one was in any doubt that difficult decisions would need to be made in order to bring Britain’s finances back under control. Today’s announcement is the first step on what will be a difficult road to building a fairer economy for both Britain and Wales, but the Bank of England has responded positively saying the plans are strong and sensible.
The Welsh government has known for a long time that there was going to be a dip in its budget. It is now up to the Welsh Government to demonstrate that it can act responsibly to ensure that frontline services are protected – as the UK government has done today.
I have been critical in the past of waste in the Welsh Government’s budget, particularly in reforming Quangos, and the Health Minister’s refusal to investigate waste that financial experts have found in the NHS. I hope that the Welsh Government will now be willing to examine cleverer, smarter ways of delivering their services.
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