£416 million will be cut from the Assembly's budget next year. New Labour are calling the cuts "efficiency savings". Adam Price said yesterday:
"When taking these and other already announced cuts into account, public services in Wales will be around one billion pounds per year worse off by 2013-14."
This is disasterous news for Welsh public services. Swathing cuts to frontline services are inevitable. Its difficult to see how these cuts can be implemented without job cuts. Jobs are already at risk at the Mint.
The public sector should be providing jobs now, not cutting them. Great opportunities have been missed to invest in a Green New Deal - something that could have provided thousands of jobs and training opportunities well as helping us to prepare the way for the effects of climate change and peak oil.
Why didn't the chancellor scrap the plans to introduce ID cards and replace the TRIDENT nuclear missile system? Billions could have been saved in two simple moves. Instead, the poorest - those who make most use of public services and who don't have the luxury of being able to afford alternatives will bear the brunt of these cuts.
