Freedom Central » Roger Williams

Tory backbenches call for Barnett reform

Freedom Central — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:24:11 +0000

It only took one front page story by the Daily Mail but according to the today’s Western Mail Tory backbenchers in England are revolting. The source of their dissatisfaction is the publication of Treasury figures which show £1,200 less is spent per person on public services in England than in Wales, and £1,600 less than is spent in Scotland. In fact the gap between England and scotland has grown.

The paper says that the figures provoked criticism from some Conservative backbench MPs in England who joined calls, made in Wales for several years, for the Barnett Formula, which decides how much money Wales receives each year from Whitehall, to be replaced by a needs-based equation.

They add that English Conservative concerns revolve predominantly around the refusal of the Scottish Government to charge taxpayers for things including prescriptions and university tuition fees:

Tory MP David Mowat said that the Government must tackle the issue.

“This is quite wrong and will rightly cause indignation in England. Many MPs are having to defend deeply unpopular cuts. We do so on the basis that there is no alternative and that the deficit must be brought down,” he said.

“This argument looks a bit limp when the coalition is able to fritter away billions of pounds to appease vested interests north of the border. We should have a funding formula that is based on need.”

Another Tory MP, Gordon Henderson, added: “It is simply wrong that English taxpayers are being asked to help subsidise for people living in Scotland a range of services not available in England, including free prescriptions, free hospital parking, free accommodation in care homes and free university tuition fees.”

Roger Williams, deputy leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: “The Barnett Formula is now totally discredited and calls for it to be replaced with a needs-based formula come from across the political spectrum.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have long called for reform and have been opposed by both Labour and Conservative politicians. Now it seems that with Labour in Wales having belatedly converted to the need for reform, increasing numbers of Conservatives are also waking up to the need for reform.”

Welsh Liberal Democrats say Yes to Fairer Votes

Freedom Central — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 06:26:01 +0000

The Leader and Deputy Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams AM and Roger Williams MP, will today launch the Welsh Liberal Democrats Yes to Fairer Votes campaign with Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats , Rt Hon Simon Hughes MP, at Llandrindod Wells.

Kirsty Williams said: “We in Wales, we in the Welsh Liberal Democrats, know a little about working to win referendums to improve our democracy. We did it in 1997 and we did it again in March this year.

“But improving our devolution settlement is not enough. We need the whole package of political reform: More power for communities, House of Lords reform, the Freedom Bill. And of course, Fairer Votes for Westminster.

“So I make this pledge. We will do everything we can to win the AV referendum. The leaflets we issue will make the case for change in Cardiff Bay – and for reform at Westminster.

“On the day of the Welsh general election, we shall be motivating people to vote both for a progressive alternative government in Wales and a progressive alternative voting system in Westminster.

The Deputy Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Roger Williams MP added:

“First Past the Post results in MPs that that can get elected by appealing only to a minority of constituents, ignoring the views of others.

“It results in MPs with jobs for life, elected without the support of most of the people they are supposed to represent. Taking constituents for granted.

“The Alternative Vote will mean politicians having to persuade at least half their constituents to vote for them.

“It will mean fewer MPs with jobs for life in safe seats. It will mean putting the people back in charge, knowing that their vote will make a difference. And all that means accountable MPs having to work harder for your vote.”

The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Simon Hughes MP added:

“On May 5th, for the first time, the people of Britain will have the choice as to how they will elect their Members of Parliament.

“Liberal Democrats in Wales and elsewhere must take an active role in this campaign, as we should with every opportunity to make our democracy more representative.

“There are MPs in the House of Commons today who are elected with the votes of less than one third of the voters in their constituencies. Less than 2 in a 100 of the electorate in the end decided the result of the last election. This is simply not good enough and we must do better.

“Liberal Democrats are campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote because we believe in better democracy and the empowerment of people. Fairer votes will also force Labour and Conservative candidates to do what I and every one of my Liberal Democrat colleagues have had to do to be elected and to be re-elected – which is to fight for every single vote in every constituency.

“We must now go out and win the argument – and the vote.”

Welsh Lib Dem MPs want VAT rise impact to be assessed

Freedom Central — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:52:16 +0000

Welsh Liberal Democrat MPs Roger Williams and Mark Williams have written to Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander asking for the impact of the VAT rise to be assessed and measures to mitigate the effect in some areas to be adopted.

Both MPs put their name to an amendment tabled by St. Ives MP Andrew George calling for an impact assessment of the increase in VAT to 20%, but the amendment was not called.

In particular, they have highlighted the impact on rural areas, where the lack of public transport, which is zero-rated, means that people have no alternative but to use cars, and they will face the effect of a 2.5% VAT increase on the cost of driving.

They also point out the increasing discrepancy between the VAT rate on new build and refurbishment, which will provide an even greater financial incentive to favour new build over refurbishment.

They further highlighted the impact of the rise in VAT on charities, which is expected to cost them around £250 million, at a time when there is a great pressure on the voluntary sector.

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire Roger Williams said:

“We know that the Coalition Government faced a tough task in ensuring that we are able to cut the deficit without hitting the poorest, but we are worried about the proposed increase in VAT.

“We are particularly concerned about the impact on the voluntary sector, which is particularly hard-pressed at the moment, and rural areas due to the additional cost of fuel.

“We need to carry out this work so that we can lessen the impact of any increase in VAT.”

Ceredigion MP Mark Williams added:

“Many people are concerned at the impact that this will have on their budget or on their business, and it is absolutely right that the Government should heed those concerns and do what they can to mitigate the impact.

“We recognise that this was a tough budget to deliver, and that Labour left the Government in an impossible position, but the coalition has to be prepared to listen to genuine concerns, and ensure that we do put forward a budget that deals with the deficit while protecting the poorest in our society.”

Welsh Lib Dem MP set to rebel?

Newswire — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:41:34 +0000

The BBC report that the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats in Westminster has put his neck on the line by saying that he would not support an increase in VAT in Tomorrow’s Budget.

Roger Williams, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, told the Politics Show that VAT is a “very regressive tax that falls most heavily on the poorest in society”. He said there was a concensus that the deficit had to be tackled otherwise it would “increase and increase and that would lead to increase in interest charges that would decimate our public services”.

He added: “Something had to be done – the question is will it be done in a way to protect the most vulnerable people in our society and give a boost to the private sector so that they can take up the slack of people who find themselves unemployed.”

Mr Williams rejected the idea that the cuts were ideologically driven.

“I don’t think this is ideological actually. This is dealing with the practicalities of a terrible situation that was left by a Labour government,” he said.

“We have been left with a very large deficit and if we don’t tackle that then the first thing that’s going to suffer is public services and the second thing that’s going is the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat MPs urge fair funding for Wales

Newswire — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:49:30 +0000

Welsh Liberal Democrat MPs Mark Williams and Roger Williams have today highlighted the need for fair funding for Wales in Treasury Questions, citing the Holtham Commission which found that Wales is underfunded by £300 million every year.

In his question, Mark Williams asked whether the Government accepted the conclusions of Holtham that Wales is underfunded, and asked the Government to commit to fair funding across the UK.

Responding on behalf of the Government, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander acknowledged the concerns raised by the Holtham Commission, but reiterated that dealing with the deficit is the Treasury’s priority. He confirmed that a full review would take place after the referendum on further powers.

In response to a question by Mr Williams’s Welsh Liberal Democrat colleague Roger Williams MP, Mr Alexander said that he would look into suggestions that the Barnett Formula could be reformed to provide a reduction in the deficit.

Commenting, Ceredigion MP Mark Williams said:

“I remain clear that we need reform of Barnett, and the new Government’s recognition of Holtham is welcome as is their promise of a full review on Welsh funding.

“We obviously need to tackle the deficit and that is rightly the priority of the Treasury, but at a time when there are going to be cuts, it is even more important that those cuts fall fairly.”

“I do maintain that we can tackle the deficit and put in place a need-based formula to address this issue, and I welcome Danny Alexander’s commitment to look at this possibility.”

Brecon and Radnorshire MP Roger Williams added:

“A debate in the House of Lords on Monday showed that there was cross-party support for reform of the Barnett formula, including from Lord Barnett, the report’s author.

“It is clear that public finances need to be stabilised given the huge deficit, but it is also possible to reform the Barnett Formula at the same time.

“Reform would not mean providing additional funding but would require funding to be shifted from regions that are receiving more than their fair share to those that are not.”

For Wales read England

Peter Black — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 09:00:50 +0000

Anybody who spends any time at the Hay Literary Festival will appreciate the confusion faced by visitors who think that they are in fact still in England. That is not because the town itself exudes Englishness, it has a distinct Welsh identity in my view, but because for more than a week we are surrounded by the English intelligentsia, none of whom appear to have a clue about devolution or Welshness.

That is reflected in all the coverage, even by the now politically-correct BBC, even though the festival organisers themselves do make an attempt to deal with the issue in the range and diversity of the events they put on. Not surprisingly one of the worse offenders is the Guardian itself, who recently published an article by Homa Khaleeli that suggested that the festival was being taken over by politicians, as if this invasion was unusual and game-changing.

This article has been taken to task in today’s paper by the Director of the Open University in Wales and former Welsh Liberal Democrat Party President, Rob Humphreys. He writes:

Homa Khaleeli’s piece of politician-watching at the Hay festival (Invasion of the politicians!, G2, 1 June), with its listing of some welcome visitors, was woefully (and typically for the Guardian) London-centric. Prominent elected representatives of Wales – where Hay-on-Wye is situated – are frequent attendees and speakers. This year the list of speakers and panellists includes the Welsh environment minister, Jane Davidson, the Welsh heritage minister, Alun Ffred Jones (members, respectively, of Labour and Plaid Cymru – the two parts of the governing coalition), and Kirsty Williams, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

A better-informed glance around the festival site on the first weekend would also have revealed Nick Bourne, the Welsh Conservative group leader in the Welsh assembly, the local MP, Roger Williams, and prominent Labour AM Andrew Davies, to name but three. The former first minister of Wales, Rhodri Morgan, and the presiding officer of the assembly, Dafydd Elis Thomas, have been distinguished speakers in previous years at Hay. The director of the festival, Peter Florence, has brilliantly described Hay as a “free port” of ideas. It is, nonetheless, in and of Wales. Thus politicians of Wales do not have to “invade” the festival – for better or worse they play their natural part in sharing, transmitting and receiving ideas within Wales and, significantly, across a wider international stage.

Of course it is not just journalists who get it wrong. Last week I sat through an enthralling interview in which Rosie Boycott talked to the historian Niall Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson spoke authoratively and passionately about the ‘national curriculum’ and its treatment of history as if it applied to the whole of the UK, rather than just England. He spoke, and the interviewer did not correct him, as if he were in the heart of England and that all of us, Welsh, Scots and Irish included were blighted by the decisions of previous English Education Ministers in the same way.

Then, as if to rub it in Rosie Boycott pointed out that the new Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, was in the audience and invited him to contribute. He spoke as if he were responsible for the education of all of us and never once acknowledged the fact that he is not, in fact, the Minister responsible for the National Curriculum in the area in which he sat, but just England. Nor did he show any awareness of the devolution settlement. It is at times like these that one regrets rushing off to another event leaving no time to correct matters.

To be fair to the BBC, they have fully educated most of their correspondents and news readers as to the subtleties and nuances of the devolution settlement. I think it would be useful if the same course could be laid on for journalists on London-based newspapers and also for those presenting at Hay on relevant matters.

Minister acknowledges need for fair Welsh funding

Roger Williams — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:59:26 +0000

I very much welcome the acknowledgement of the need for fair Welsh funding by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Laws today, after I raised the issue in a question in the House of Commons.

I raised the issue after Shadow Chancellor Alistair Darling asked an urgent question about the £6.25 billion cuts announced this week by the Coalition Government.

In doing so I highlighted the statement made by Peter Hain in November last year about providing compensatory payments to the Welsh Budget where convergence had taken place, however a Parliamentary Answer by the Treasury confirmed that while convergence would be assessed in the next Spending Review it was not ‘currently expected’.

Holtham made it clear that Wales is losing out and the Government has set out their plans to look at the funding settlement, but there are real problems faced in Wales as a result of underfunding.

I was pleased that David Laws acknowledged the difficulties we face and I look forward to working with him to ensure that we get the best possible deal for Wales.

The Treasury made it clear in answers before the election that they didn’t believe they would ever have to implement Peter Hain’s so-called ‘funding floor’ so there is a need to continue to concentrate on the issue of Welsh funding.

We have been promised a Treasury Review of Welsh funding by the Coalition Government, which is welcome, but I hope that the Government will make sure that any cuts are fairly distributed, and the Minister’s response was encouraging in that regard.

Queen’s Speech offers real reform for Wales

Freedom Central — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:34:21 +0000

The Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, Roger Williams, has welcomed the adoption of Liberal Democrat policies in the Queen’s Speech.

These include measures to make the tax and benefits system fairer and simpler, scrap ID cards and repeal unnecessary laws, and invest in high-speed broadband.

The Speech also outlined a radical package to reform our political system, including plans for a referendum on the Alternative Vote, a wholly or mainly elected House of Lords, and a recall law to ensure MPs who have been found guilty of wrongdoing can be kicked out by their constituents. It confirmed that the Government would bring forward a referendum on further powers for the Welsh Assembly.

Roger Williams said: “Yesterday’s announcement on the first wave of cuts showed just how challenging the next few years are going to be, but today’s speech shows that we can still make positive changes for Wales.

“This is an opportunity to give power back to people and to restore civil liberties that have been lost in the last few years, and to concentrate on building a fairer society in Wales and the rest of the UK, despite the undoubted difficulties ahead.

“I look forward to arguing for full law-making powers for the Welsh Assembly, so that we can get rid of the crazy system that requires them to go cap-in-hand to the Westminster Government, every time they want to bring in a new law.

“It is clearer than ever that we face some difficult decisions and we need a Government that will tackle those new challenges, while correcting the mistakes that been made by the previous Labour administration. I am encouraged that despite the difficult circumstances we face, the Government has still put forward some clear policies to increase the freedom and fairness of our society.”

‘Think Plaid. Think Dole.’

Newswire — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:22:58 +0000

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Roger Williams has criticised the record of nationalist parties in Government after the latest unemployment figures showed unemployment rising in Wales and Scotland as it goes down in England.

Wales has the highest unemployment of any nation in the UK at 9.2%, up 9,000 to 133,000 over the most recent period covered. In Scotland unemployment has gone up 16,000 to 205,000.

Commenting, Roger Williams said:

“These figures are extremely disturbing for Wales, and highlight the failure of Plaid to get a grip on unemployment.

“The common feature in Wales and Scotland is having nationalists in charge of economic development, and it is clear they are following their narrow nationalist agendas, rather than ensuring people are in jobs.

“According to Plaid, when things go well, it’s Ieuan, when they go badly it’s London. There comes a time when you have to stop blaming London for everything and take responsibility for your own failures.

“For many people their slogan at the election will be ‘Think Plaid. Think Dole.’”

#wldconf the movies

Freedom Central — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:12:26 +0000

Here are four short videos from yesterday’s Welsh Liberal Democrat Conference in Swansea’s Grand Theatre starting with Swansea West Parliamentary Candidate Peter May opening the event:

A thoughtful speech from Welsh Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Brecon and Radnorshire MP, Roger Williams:

A barnstormer from Ceredigion MP, Mark Williams:

And an outstanding contribution from the future MP for Newport East, Ed Townsend: