The Western Mail’s lead headline that the Welsh economy ‘could already be in recession’ was good for attracting attention no doubt, but as the article showed it was more about people’s opinions from recent business survey results, current trading conditions and previous experiences of downturns, rather than hard GDP or GVA facts but its not a surprise because the figures simply aren't collated regularly for Wales.
A recession is characterised by two consecutive quarters of GVA or GDP of negative growth, but as the Welsh Government only produce GVA figures for the Welsh economy once a year in December before the Christmas holidays for the previous 12 months (December 2011 figures will be for 2010) – how would Welsh Government minister's or business leaders know that Wales was in recession and if you don’t know, how can you plan properly for a downturn if you are relying on incomplete economic data?
And it’s not the case that regular figures can't be produced because Wales is too small or has a regional government, the Scottish and Catalan Government’s both manage to produce far more regular GVA updates on the state of their respective economies than our lot in Cardiff Bay – it’s a situation that its unlikely to change and yet another reason why the business community has little faith in the Welsh Government’s approach to business.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The Opposition are at it now
It’s not just the Welsh government who are inhabiting a parallel universe to the rest of us it seems, but the Opposition are as well.
We learnt today that Leader of the Opposition Welsh Conservative Andrew RT Davies first major policy announcement since becoming leader is for MP’s to overturn the fox hunting ban. Now apart from this not being a devolved matter or high on anyone’s agenda, it gives more ammunition to his opponents who must think Christmas has come early.
And his remarks would be funny if things weren’t so serious, there is real anxiety among all sections of Welsh society about inflation, food prices, job security and whether their kids will get into University and the best the man charged with leading the opposition in the Welsh Assembly has to offer after a summer of silence is a repeal of the fox hunting ban.
That’s bad enough but Andrew, like most Welsh politicians of all parties also had nothing to say about last week’s unemployment figures or the high economic activity rate that Dylan Jones Evans raise in his weekly column. Does he agree with Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan when she said there was an urgent need for growth after last Wednesday’s figures and with Dylan that tackling economic activity should be a high priority?
And Andrew isn’t alone in his silence, I’ve already written about the invisibility of Welsh Labour Government Minister in my previous post and Valleys Mam has asked about where the Welsh press has been since recess began.
And while we’re on the subject of Opposition leaders and parties has anyone seen Ieuan Wyn Jones or any other Plaid Cymru politicians lately or what about Kirsty Williams and any of the Lib Dems?
Wales is a country without leaders and an economy without jobs - so what are our politicians gonna do about it?
We learnt today that Leader of the Opposition Welsh Conservative Andrew RT Davies first major policy announcement since becoming leader is for MP’s to overturn the fox hunting ban. Now apart from this not being a devolved matter or high on anyone’s agenda, it gives more ammunition to his opponents who must think Christmas has come early.
And his remarks would be funny if things weren’t so serious, there is real anxiety among all sections of Welsh society about inflation, food prices, job security and whether their kids will get into University and the best the man charged with leading the opposition in the Welsh Assembly has to offer after a summer of silence is a repeal of the fox hunting ban.
That’s bad enough but Andrew, like most Welsh politicians of all parties also had nothing to say about last week’s unemployment figures or the high economic activity rate that Dylan Jones Evans raise in his weekly column. Does he agree with Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan when she said there was an urgent need for growth after last Wednesday’s figures and with Dylan that tackling economic activity should be a high priority?
And Andrew isn’t alone in his silence, I’ve already written about the invisibility of Welsh Labour Government Minister in my previous post and Valleys Mam has asked about where the Welsh press has been since recess began.
And while we’re on the subject of Opposition leaders and parties has anyone seen Ieuan Wyn Jones or any other Plaid Cymru politicians lately or what about Kirsty Williams and any of the Lib Dems?
Wales is a country without leaders and an economy without jobs - so what are our politicians gonna do about it?
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