PLAID CYMRU has reacted strongly to criticism mounted by Labour politicians, both local and national, on its plans to use Council reserves for investment in new projects.
As The Herald reported in our New Year’s edition, with uncertainty surrounding the future make-up of local authorities across Wales including possible mergers between Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion into the old Dyfed Authority it appears that Plaid Cymru is determined to ensure that money earmarked for the benefit of Carmarthenshire residents is used to deliver improvements for Carmarthenshire residents.
At the time, Executive Board member for Resources, David Jenkins, said: “It is only right and proper that Carmarthenshire people should benefit from that money (i.e. the reserves).” However, Labour politicians have now been accused by Plaid Cymru of putting jobs and public welfare schemes at risk by trying to spike plans to invest an extra £20m in new projects in Carmarthenshire. The allegation follows a veiled threat by Labour Welsh Government minister Leighton Andrews to intervene in county council spending. When Plaid announced its plans, the Welsh Government – which has told Councils to use reserves to subsidise Council Tax and plans to raid the reserves to fund its own policy on mergers – said it would act to prevent Councils engaging in what it called ‘irresponsible spending’. “This is a reckless ploy by Labour, who seem perfectly happy to jeopardise these projects out of pure political spite. It just shows how desperate they have become,”
Council Deputy Leader Cllr. David Jenkins told a meeting of the Plaid group on Monday (Jan 11). Plaid councillors were told that the £20m was found by the new Plaid-led administration after detailed research into the council’s extensive reserves. The view was expressed that Labour were too lazy, incompetent or lacking in vision to seek out this sum themselves when they were in power in Carmarthenshire. It was their lack of political leadership that allowed the authority to become officer-led, by default and necessity. “Having been totally outflanked by Plaid Cymru, Labour now challenge the plans to invest this extra £20m in capital projects – projects which will benefit the people of Carmarthenshire across the board in all kinds of services: from social care and job creation to heritage and leisure,” said Cllr Jenkins. “It is quite staggering that, even by Labour’s usual cynical standards, they have the temerity to complain about this valuable investment. It appears they don’t want jobs and prosperity for our people.”
Responding subsequently to a strong attack on Labour’s position made at full Council on Wednesday (Jan 13), Llanelli Labour candidate Lee Waters said: “I’m not criticising Plaid for the cuts, the Tories are forcing Councils to slash spending and take the blame for it. I haven’t criticised Plaid for doing things that whoever was in charge would have been faced with.”
Lee Waters continued to claim that Llanelli was in some way being dealt with unfairly by the authority and the Plaid-led coalition: “I’m pointing out that Plaid have made a political choice – they have raided reserves designed for a rainy day to fund pet projects in their own wards, whilst pressuring Llanelli to put up our Council Tax to keep Parc Howard public – which he keeps saying he has promised to do. Carmarthen is to get a velodrome, Llanelli isn’t; Carmarthen gets a new £2M Archive and Llanelli is told to find our own way to fund a park that has been bequeathed to the people of the town.”
An examination by The Herald of the spending pledges made by Plaid Cymru in December have revealed a pledge to invest £12.5m in a care home in Llanelli, £500,000 in works on a new cycle path at Pembrey, and the £300,000 renovation of Llanelli market. The £12.5m funding for a new care home in Llanelli is the single largest pledge made by Cllr Jenkins in his December statement.
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