Cardiff: Could we see APD devolved to Wales under Labour?

[Aviador]

Ah yes, the levelling up fund. That'll be the same levelling up fund that was promised for the Northern Powerhouse between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Hull. We're still waiting.

Cutting to the chase, I don't think Wales or Scotland should receive any more money than anywhere else. What we need is a more even distribution of any money that is available because at the moment it seems like most of it stays in London.

The Barnett formula also allows Scotland and Wales an unfair advantage over many of the English regions. Leeds for example has been trying to obtain funding for a tram system for 30 years and it is still waiting.

Edinburgh on the other hand wants a couple of £££ billion for a bridge and it's handed the money. Cardiff is half the size of the Leeds City Region, isn't Cardiff getting a tram system?

 

[Jerry]

The Barnett formula also allows Scotland and Wales an unfair advantage over many of the English regions.

The Barnett formula benefits Scotland it doesn't benefit Wales and even its author said it wasn't suitable in the long term. As for English regions then they need to campaign for proper devolution even the federalisation of England. At the moment they're getting a diluted version that's more like more powerful councils than the devolution of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A type of devolution that Westminster is comfortable with because it means it keep the powers. And a part of that is voting for local/regional parties rather than the main national ones.

Edinburgh on the other hand wants a couple of £££ billion for a bridge and it's handed the money. Cardiff is half the size of the Leeds City Region, isn't Cardiff getting a tram system?

Scotland and Wales also has certain amount of borrowing powers. In the case of the South Wales Metro part of the money is coming from the Welsh government because the UK government wouldn't fund it all. Cardiff is getting a cross rail system but not all the parts of Cardiff will be covered. The rail network and local transport network in Wales has been massively under funded and works happening now should've really been done a generation ago.

 

[Aviador]

Strickly speaking I'm not against Scotland or Wales going it alone but I honestly think it will make things worse for everyone living on this island. The country as in the UK is already small. One of the pro EU arguments was as a pact we could compete with larger emerging economies. Splitting the UK up even further will not help any of the nations within it. Fedralisation of England would just create more hoops and red tape IMHO.

 

[Jerry]

Strickly speaking I'm not against Scotland or Wales going it alone but I honestly think it will make things worse for everyone living on this island. The country as in the UK is already small. One of the pro EU arguments was as a pact we could compete with larger emerging economies. Splitting the UK up even further will not help any of the nations within it. Fedralisation of England would just create more hoops and red tape IMHO.

Personally i think it will actually be the opposite. So much of the politics of the UK is focused on England because its the biggest country and its not always to the benefit of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and England itself. Its been shown in Europe how small countries can cooperate with bigger neighbours and thrive as independent countries. A big chunk of the problems that Wales has need the powers of an independent country to solve. I personally don't see why all of the countries of the UK can't have a mutually beneficial relationship as independent countries, the UK doesn't need to exist for that to happen. The Nordic countries are an example of that. As for England and federalising it, part of that would be to give more powers locally to tackle the problems many of its regions have. I think people in England need to stop looking to London to solve their problems.