Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Marc Tierney said today:

“For weeks, we’ve heard Tory ministers and Theresa May herself tell us that “austerity is over”.  This budget shows that this is just not true.

“Stephen Crabb and his counterpart in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire should be apologising to the people of their constituencies for their government’s failed handling of the economy. Rather than applauding a budget that, in the light of a poor deal or no-deal Brexit could be ripped up in a matter of months, they should be challenging their cabinet colleagues to properly fund our public services.  This budget means less money again for our vital services and developing our infrastructure – all areas which are crucial to our rural economy.

“Families across Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire will see this budget as yet another hand out for the rich.  The Tories have failed to address the misery caused by benefit changes – the bedroom tax and universal credit, the economic uncertainty created by their in-fighting over Brexit or the fact that their miserly “boost” to the Welsh budget belies the reality that local authorities in Wales are having to consider making some of the most drastic cuts since the Tories started austerity in 2010.”

“And let’s look more closely at this £550million over the next three years for Wales.  It means that on a like-for-like basis, the Welsh Government budget in 2019-20 is still down 5% or £850million in real terms compared to 2010-11.  This ‘boost’ simply doesn’t go far enough in meeting the financial challenges of the future.”