Comments on: Carwyn launches manifesto with education pledge http://waleshome.org/2009/11/carwyn-launches-manifesto-with-education-pledge/ Independent analysis from and about Wales Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:59:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Jeff Jones http://waleshome.org/2009/11/carwyn-launches-manifesto-with-education-pledge/comment-page-1/#comment-1651 Jeff Jones Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:52:19 +0000 http://waleshome.org/?p=4123#comment-1651 How can you re-examine education spending for 2010/11 with a budget that has already been announced for consultation? Surely as a member of the cabinet, Carwyn Jones agreed to the budget that he is now arguing should be looked at again. To actually suggest that if he became First Minister in December he would reopen the budget discussions must worry every Finance Director in the public sector. If Education is going to get more in next year's budget under a Carwyn Jones government he has also got to set out which other services will be cut to find this extra money. As for the period after 2011 then how any Assembly government is going to deliver extra money to education in the cuts scenario outlined in the 2009 budget will really be interesting. As the IFS pointed out in its detailed analysis of the 2009 budget the only department that escapes cuts up to 2014 is International Development. To quote the power point presentation "If pain is shared equally: Health,education and law and order would all experience real cuts." To promise to increase one service at 1% above the RSG without spelling out the consequences for other services just doesn't make sense. Unfortunately this is what happens when you start to make promises in order to win the support of everyone. The danger with this pork barrel approach to politics is that if you win power the promises you made on the way to the top could come back to haunt you. How can you re-examine education spending for 2010/11 with a budget that has already been announced for consultation? Surely as a member of the cabinet, Carwyn Jones agreed to the budget that he is now arguing should be looked at again. To actually suggest that if he became First Minister in December he would reopen the budget discussions must worry every Finance Director in the public sector. If Education is going to get more in next year’s budget under a Carwyn Jones government he has also got to set out which other services will be cut to find this extra money.

As for the period after 2011 then how any Assembly government is going to deliver extra money to education in the cuts scenario outlined in the 2009 budget will really be interesting. As the IFS pointed out in its detailed analysis of the 2009 budget the only department that escapes cuts up to 2014 is International Development. To quote the power point presentation “If pain is shared equally: Health,education and law and order would all experience real cuts.”

To promise to increase one service at 1% above the RSG without spelling out the consequences for other services just doesn’t make sense. Unfortunately this is what happens when you start to make promises in order to win the support of everyone. The danger with this pork barrel approach to politics is that if you win power the promises you made on the way to the top could come back to haunt you.

]]> By: Michael Cridland http://waleshome.org/2009/11/carwyn-launches-manifesto-with-education-pledge/comment-page-1/#comment-1644 Michael Cridland Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:03:13 +0000 http://waleshome.org/?p=4123#comment-1644 "How can you tell when a politician is lying? When they open their mouth". That is a old joke that you hear in the US (as I have heard in Wales) goes together with one about Moses, promises and camels! That unfortnately is how Joe Public perceives politicians and their promises. even here in the US the most dedicated Obamaite is getting disalusioned with their idol! "No more Second term", simply because of the problems over healthcare reform. Thats not to say I believe that Carwyn, Huw, or Edwina are liars (anymore than I believe them to be "nazis"). When someone says that "education is the way out of poverty" that's a obvious truth. the asks Jo Public why is education been ignored generally. the UK still has the lowest number that go on to Universty in the Western world. And we still educate our kids in schools that were built in the 19th Century. “How can you tell when a politician is lying? When they open their mouth”. That is a old joke that you hear in the US (as I have heard in Wales) goes together with one about Moses, promises and camels! That unfortnately is how Joe Public perceives politicians and their promises. even here in the US the most dedicated Obamaite is getting disalusioned with their idol! “No more Second term”, simply because of the problems over healthcare reform. Thats not to say I believe that Carwyn, Huw, or Edwina are liars (anymore than I believe them to be “nazis”). When someone says that “education is the way out of poverty” that’s a obvious truth. the asks Jo Public why is education been ignored generally. the UK still has the lowest number that go on to Universty in the Western world. And we still educate our kids in schools that were built in the 19th Century.

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