The Real Labour Manifesto

The Real

Labour

Manifesto February 2015

“What we didn’t do for Wales” As we approach the Westminster election it is important to remind voters of the times we didn’t stand up for Wales during this parliament and also in the Assembly.

Our support for George Osborne’s austerity charter is well known, but our record on

failing to support the devolution of additional powers goes back even further.

We hope voters will judge us on our voting record.

Yours (well, not really), The Labour Party.

Reduction of fuel duty for remote areas, 07/02/11

Devolution of JobCentre Plus to Wales, 21/06/11

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1q1QUTv)

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1vnq7Nl)

Welfare Reform Bill that brought in many cuts to social security (Second Reading), 09/04/11

Halt cuts to public sector pensions, 08/12/11

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted against. (bit.ly/1rWMNt5)

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/12Hib3m)

Hyrwyddwyd gan / Promoted by: Plaid Cymru, Tŷ Gwynfor, Llys Anson, Caerdydd/Cardiff ar ran Plaid Cymru

Labour Manifesto Devolution of energy to Wales, 31/01/12

Calls for a “No Evictions” policy for victims of the Bedroom Tax, 23/04/13

We voted against. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/12rNXjP)

We rejected Plaid Cymru’s call for a “No Evictions” policy for victims of the Bedroom Tax like Scotland has adopted. (bit.ly/1zCGjjh)

Welsh Government refusal to make up the council tax short-fall, 06/02/12 We initially refused to make up the £23m short-fall in council tax benefit when it was devolved to Wales, and wanted local authorities to bear the burden, stating this in writing from the outset (bit.ly/1CZoSfb).

It took a campaign led by Plaid Cymru, which included the recall of the Assembly during recess, to make us cave in and find the money.

The First Minister commented: “That is a matter for local authorities to decide. I can well understand the thinking behind the no-eviction policy, but it is for each local authority to decide how it wishes to approach this inequitable situation.”

It was later confirmed by the First Minister on February 4th 2014, that such a policy would only cost £10m. (bit.ly/1zCGKKz)

Cutting the 50p tax rate to 45p, 26/03/12

Give National Assembly for Wales full power over water up to the boundary with England (Water Bill), 06/01/14

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted against. (bit.ly/1yncrsN)

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1s1N3BD)

Cut to the EU budget including Convergence Funding and Common Agricultural Policy payments, 31/10/12

Halt further public spending cuts and establish a commission on the effects of austerity, 11/02/14

We voted for. Plaid Cymru voted against. (bit.ly/1tYDN0E)

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1z1ilyu)

Retrospective legislation to sanction Workfare programme participants, 19/03/13

Assembly debate on the Social Services Bill: Banning Zero Hour Contracts in social care, 11/02/14

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted against. (bit.ly/1vna4iz)

We voted against. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1xhOP2K)

Devolve Air Passenger Duty to Wales (Finance Bill), 18/04/13

Welfare Budget Cap, 26/03/14

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1yn468m)

We voted for. Plaid Cymru voted against. (bit.ly/1z1fHZy)

Hyrwyddwyd gan / Promoted by: Plaid Cymru, Tŷ Gwynfor, Llys Anson, Caerdydd/Cardiff ar ran Plaid Cymru

Devolve Air Passenger Duty to Wales (Finance Bill), 09/04/14 We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1yvBt7Z)

Assembly debate: stop the £1bn M4 “Black Route” on value for money grounds, 18/06/14 We voted against, with the Tories. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1xhQc1B)

HS2 without a guarantee of consequential funding for Wales in subsequent years as marked as a UKwide project, 28/04/14

Allow the Welsh Government to set its own infrastructure spending priorities for borrowing (Wales Bill), 24/06/14

We voted for. Plaid Cymru voted against. (bit.ly/1FTbqYm)

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1vVFbqn)

Removal of the “lockstep” restriction on income tax powers for Wales (Wales Bill), 30/04/14

Data Retention (Snoopers’ Charter), 15/07/14

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1tYaY4J)

Giving Welsh Government the power to issue bonds (Wales Bill), 06/05/14 We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1vn1H6p)

Funding Wales on the basis of need (Wales Bill), 06/05/14

We voted for. Plaid Cymru voted against. (bit.ly/1yTsxYW)

Moratorium on Fracking, 26/01/15 We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/16zLneL) Plaid Cymru later secured majority Assembly support for a Welsh moratorium on Fracking- but the powers still lie at Westminster.

We abstained. Plaid Cymru voted for. (bit.ly/1FT9WgN)

“What happens in Westminster happens in Westminster.”

The “Charter for Budget Responsibility”, 13/01/15 We voted for the austerity charter. Plaid Cymru voted against. (bit.ly/1AsICsa) The First Minister, Carwyn Jones, commented: “What happens in Westminster happens in Westminster.”

Hyrwyddwyd gan / Promoted by: Plaid Cymru, Tŷ Gwynfor, Llys Anson, Caerdydd/Cardiff ar ran Plaid Cymru