Squeezing
It's double whammy day.
Seatbelts on for the Pre-Budget Report and the Comprehensive Spending Review rolled into one. Today we get to find out how much money the Chancellor expects to have to play with for the next few years, how much of it he's going to hand out and to who. (Yes, I know that should be 'whom' but you don't write words like 'whom' in a blog do you?!)
Why are we having such a big budget day? Hands up those who think it has something to do with the election that never was. Instead it must now count as part of the UK government's fight back, a chance to regain the initiative on taxation and public spending. Already there are hints this morning that inheritance tax will get a mention. But how do you grab the momentum back when - we're told - there's so little to spend?
This will be the tightest settlement since devolution. In 1999 when the Assembly was established the pot held some £7 billion. The last settlement was twice that, £14 billion. We'll get more still this time - we're talking growth against inflation - but not much more. The kind of 'not much more' that may feel like a squeeze.
Just a few months ago there were Plaid Cymru AMs who thought twice about going into coalition with anyone precisely because they knew this day was coming. Time of plenty over for now; it's time for famine and who wants to be fresh in government for the first time in the party's history when there's no money around?
One or two thought for a while they'd be better placed shouting from the sidelines. They thought the Rainbow Coalition's All Wales Accord would be dashed on days like this. They thought it safer to join the big boys and go into coalition with Labour. But today, I imagine the words 'collective responsiblity' are ringing in Ieuan Wyn Jones' ears. He can hardly slam the UK government for "selling Wales short", can he? Or denounce the deal as "meagre" and "very disappointing" (yes, that's right, I've been trawling through the archives this morning). The SNP have already been at it in Scotland but then Ieuan Wyn Jones and Plaid chose coalition with Labour, so today - if the business of governing is indeed about choosing - let's see how they choose to respond.
How MPs respond? Ah well that's a different story. You never know, Adam Price might even reactivate his blog.
I found a tiny glimmer of hope in the Observer's Book of Money. It's one of those flimsy things you get for free and intend to throw away but given you've carried it all the way from the shop, you keep it by your bed just in case there's anything in it. And guess what? There's a list of the richest names in Britain. Top of the list (average worth, £857.9 million) is Michael. He's followed by John and David.
But who's the man who holds the purse strings in Wales? Who doles out the money into Ministers' begging bowls, though only when he's seen a receipt for each penny? Andrew Davies might be pleased to know that 'Andrew' makes it to number 5 (average worth £189.4 million).
As I said, a tiny glimmer of hope.
I'm Betsan Powys, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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So little to spend??? What about the vast, vast sums wasted on Iraq (OK, at least partly the fault of Brown's predecessor) and on Trident? There can be no excuse for any measures which may appear to the general public to smack of austerity, not when so much has been spent on being Bush's puppet. It's time for them in London to wake up!
"Adam Price might reactivate his blog"
Hell, are things that desperate ???
Will another "original" 3000 pages on "Why we waz robbed by that [English] B... Barnett!" convince???
Can't wait for Radio Wales tomorrow morning..."A nation waits/Adam speaks!!!"
From the European Commission this morning a press release that puts the UK's overdraft at only 2.5% compared to 3.2% of its income two years ago. Could that mean that Alistair Darling has more money in the pot than many were expecting? I'm no number cruncher I admit but if you're interested, take a look here: