Why Wa l e smust opposethe cuts

The people of Wales willbe hit with a tri p l ew h ammy by the Con-Dem cuts.

But not because the We l s heconomy is a 'basket case',supposedly 'over-dependent' onpublic sector employment.

True, Wales has a biggerpublic services sector,employing 33 per cent of thecountry's workforce comparedwith 27 per cent in Britain. Thisis where we will be hit by thefirst whammy.

But the Welsh economy alsohas a higher proportion ofw o r kers engaged in theproduction and constructionindustries (19 per centcompared with 16 per cent inBritain as a whole).

The legacy left by heavyindustry in terms of ill-healthhas hit the people of Wa l e sparticularly hard, requiringhigher levels of welfares p e n d i n g .

So the second whammy is theConDem attack onunemployment and incapacity-related benefits, which will costthe people of Wales about £1billion a year.

The Welsh economy has amuch smaller private servicessector (46 per cent comparedwith 56 per cent), notably infinancial and property services.This is the sector bailed out

with £1,350 billion in publicfinancial support, while NewLabour and Tory cuts willdevastate public services andthe welfare state to save £203billion.

Here is the third whammy:the central government's annualblock grant to the NationalAssembly of Wales is beingslashed by more than 11 percent in real terms over the nex tfour years—a bigger reductionthan in Scotland or NorthernI r e l a n d .

A pre-election pledge byDavid Cameron to review theBarnett formula by which theblock grant is calculated—based on population andgeography but not on socialneed—remains unredeemed.

The Welsh Assembly

government's revenue spendingis set to fall by 7.5 per cent andits capital programme by awhopping 41 per cent.

The latter comes on top of thecancellation of major centralgovernment capital projects inWa l e s .

The £14 billion SevernBarrage scheme has beendropped for reasons of cost,although its real flaws relate toquestions of politicaljurisdiction and thee n v i r o n m e n t .

But massive investment inunderwater turbines and tidallagoons could avoid suchproblems—and would be lesscostly and dangerous than sixnew nuclear power stations.

Dumping the £14 billion planfor a privatised military training

academy at St. Athan is no loss.The bill—to be met bytaxpayers—was escalating bythe month.

More serious is the refusal toe l e c t r i fy the south Wa l e s-London railway line west ofC a r d i f f. Upgrading would cutjourney times substantially, butWales lags behind to thedetriment of jobs andinvestment prospects.

Fi n a l l y, the We l s h - l a n g u a g eS4C television channel will lose24 per cent of its budget in realterms over the next four years.

Yet the growth of We l s h -medium education, which isdriving up both the number andproportion of Welsh speake r s ,underlines the need for a well-funded Welsh BroadcastingAuthority to provide a fullh o m e-made service in bothmain languages.

The Wales TUC and itsaffiliated unions are pledged tocoordinate a broad-basedcampaign against the cuts. Thepotential support for such acampaign was shown on March5, when thousands of peoplemarched through Cardiff insupport of public services, jobsand local communities.

The trade unions, the LabourPa r t y, Plaid Cymru and othersalso need to commit themselvesto winning financial powers forthe National Assembly.

The people of Wales urg e n t l yneed a Welsh Parliament withlegislative and financial powers,which could become a rallyingpoint in the struggle for acivilised society against thepower of big business.

National A s s e m bly of Wales Elections May 5, 2 0 1 1W E L S H C O M M U N I S T PA RT YY BLAID GOMIWNYDDOL GYMREIGEtholiadau i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Mai 5, 2 0 1 1

VOTE COMMUNIST FOR PUBLICS E RV I C E S , JOBS AND A P E O P L E ' S WA L E SPLEIDLEISIWCH I'R COMIWNYDDIONAM WA S A N A E T H AU CYHOEDDUS,SWYDDI A CHYMRU I'R B O B L

Y Blaid Gomiwny ddol Gymreig Welsh Communist Pa rty 2

Con-Dem con-trickThe Con-Dem government istelling a whole lot of w h o p p e rs asthey slash public services, jobsand benefits.

Whopper number 1: ‘Britain faces thebiggest debt crisis in its history’ .The truth: B r i t a i n’s National Debt is lowertoday than in 70 of the last 100 years.TheUSA and Japan have much higher levels ofNational Debt, while Britain’s is no higherthan France or Germany.

Whopper number 2: ‘The only way toclose the government’s budget deficit is tocut public spending’.The truth: Economic growth means morework, more wages, more spending, moreproduction – and more in taxes for thegovernment. Slashing public spendingmeans the opposite. Taxing the rich and bigbusiness would raise more than enough tobalance the budget.

Whopper number 3: ‘ We’re all in thistogether – it’s the Big Society!’The truth: It’s mass redundancies, benefitcuts, tax rises and worse public services forw o r kers and their families – but tax cutsand bonuses for big business and theb a n ke r s .

C a m e r o n’s ‘Big Society’ is the ‘BigBusiness’ society, where everything notowned by big business and the rich isdependent on them for donations ands p o n s o r s h i p .

That is why the CommunistParty says:★ Defend jobs, services, wages, pensionsand benefits.★ Build broad-based campaigns against thec u t s .★ Unite behind coordinated strikes in thepublic sector, leading to general strikeaction and community solidarity.

B ring down this Con-Demg overnment elected by nobody!

Policies for ap e o p l e ’ s Wa l e s★ An economic plan for Wales based ondemocratic participation and the ex t e n s i o nof cooperative, municipal and publicownership of industry and developmentl a n d .★ Public investment in small, cooperativeand municipal enterprise not bribes forforeign multinational corporations.

★ A coordinated public transport networkfor Wa l e s .★ A north-south rail link through mid-Wales and and electrification of the wholesouth Wales line.★ Powers for the National Assembly to takethe railways, gas and electricity servicesinto public ownership.★ Harnessing Severn tidal power throughunderwater turbines and coastal lagoons.★ A massive programme of public sectorh o u s e b u i l d i n g .★ Controls on empty commercial propertyand second homes including compulsorypurchase to meet local need.★ The phasing out of privatisation in theNHS and prison service.★ Re o rganisation of Welsh higher educationto meet the economic, social and culturalneeds of Wa l e s .★ A network of refuges and supportservices throughout Wales for victims ofdomestic violence.★ A Welsh Broadcasting Authority and fullh o m e-made television services in bothl a n g u a g e s .★ Free facilities for all children and adultswho wish to learn Welsh.

Y Blaid Gomiwny ddol Gymreig Welsh Communist Pa rt y 3

Po l i s i a u’ rComiwnyddion amGymru i’r Bobl

Bydd y llywo d raeth Dori ai d d -G l e gaidd yn cwtogi cyllidebSenedd Cymru 11 y cant dros yp e d air blynedd nesaf .Mae’r toriadau hyn yn ddyfnach hyd yn oedn a’r rhai a gynllunir i Senedd yr Alban aChynulliad Gogledd Iwerddon. Ac - ynwahanol iawn i’r Alban - nid oes pweraucodi arian gan ein Senedd ni.

Golyga hyn fwy o dorri’n ôl arwasanaethau llyfrgell, canolfeydd gofal iblant a’r henoed, gwasanaethaucymdeithasol a chartref, a chanolfeydd ibobl ifainc ac yn y blaen.

Cofiwch i’r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydolhonni yn Etholiad Cyffredinol 2010 mainhw oedd y gwir wrthwynebwyr y To r i a i d !

Dim ond y Blaid Goiwnyddol fydd yns e fyll dros y polisiau hyn yn yr etholiad ar5ed Mai:★ Cynllun economaidd i Gymru, wedi’iseilio ar gyfranogaeth ddemocrataidd ac arymestyn perchnogaeth wladol, ddinesig achydweithredol i ddiwydiant a thir datblygu.★ Buddsoddi gwladol mewn mentraudinesig, cydweithredol a bach yn hytrach nachorfforaethau amlwladol estron.★ Rhwydwaith trafnidiol cyhoedduscydweithiol i Gymru★ Cysylltiad rheilffordd de-gogledd drwyganolbarth Cymru, a thrydanu prif linell deC y m r u’n gyfangwbl.★ Pwerau i’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol er ail-wladoli’r gwasanaethau nwy, trydan ar h e i l f fy r d d .★ Datblygu egni llanw Mor Hafren trwybeiriannau tanddwr a llynnoedd arfordirol.★ Ymdrech enfawr i adeiladu tai sectorc y h o e d d u s .★ Rheolau cyfwng dros eiddo masnacholgwag ac ar dai haf, gan gynnyws prynugorfodol i fodloni anghenion pobl leol.★ D i w e d d u’n raddol ar wasanaethau preifato fewn y gwasanaethau iechyd a charchar.★ A i l -drefnu addysg uwch yn Nghymru erboddhau anghenion economaidd,cymdeithasol a diwylliannol pobl Cymru.★ Rhwydwaith o lochesi a gwasanaethaucymorth ledled Cymru ar gyfer menywods y’n dioddef o drais yn y cartref.★ Awdurdod Darlledu i Gymru er sicrhaugwasanaethau teledu Cymreig llawn yn yddwy iaith.★ Cyfleusterau di-dâl i blant ac oedolionsydd eisiau dysgu Cymraeg.

C o f i w c h !

1Llywodraeth Lafur a fwriadai cwtogigwario cyhoeddus gan £130 biliwn o

bunnau hyd at 2015—bron ddwywaithtoriadau ychwanegol y Toriaid a’r LibDems..

2 Y LibDems a wnaeth addo gwrthwynebucodi taliadau dysgu ar fy fyrwyr—ac sydd

yn awr yn llywyddu ar eu triphlygu.

3 Plaid Cymru a gefnogai sefydlu academifilwrol yn Sant Tathan, gan wastraffu

biliynau o bunnau o arian gyhoeddus arbaratoadau i fomio gwledydd eraill.

DIM OND Y CO M I W N Y D D I ONSY’N SEFYLL CANT Y CANT OB LAID GWA S A NA E T H AUC Y H O E D D U S, SWYDDI I BAW B,C Y F I AWNDER CYMDEITHASOLA HEDDWCH.

Re m e m b e r !

1It was a Labour government whichplanned £130 billion in spending cuts

up to 2015—almost twice the new cutsadded by the Con-Dem coalition.

2 It was the LibDems who promised tooppose any increase in student tuition

fees—and who preside over a trebling off e e s .

3 It was Plaid Cymru who backed theplan for a military academy at St. At h a n ,

which would have wasted billions of poundsin preparations to bomb other countries.

ON LY THE COMMUNISTS ARE100 PER CENT FOR PUBLICS E RV I C E S, JOBS, SOCIALJUSTICE AND PEAC E

We can alwaysa f f o rd another war!

The Con-Dem government tellsus we cannot aff o rd decent publ i cs e r v i c e s, pensions or benefits.

Yet the money can always be found foranother war—especially when oil and gasare involved.

The endless war in Afghanistan, nowspread to Pakistan, is costing Wales andBritain at least £4 billion a year. Enough towipe out all the cuts in the We l s hA s s e m b l y’s budget!

This public money is found from the‘Treasury Special Reserve’ fund. It isadditional to Britain’s massive armamentsbill—one of the biggest in the world.

Now Libya is added to the bill.

COMMUNIST MEMBERS OF THENAT I ONAL ASSEMBLY WOULDI M M E D I AT E LY TABLE AR E S O LU T I ON CON D E M N I N GTHIS CRIMINAL WASTE OFLIVES AND RESOURCES.

L e t’s challenge Labour and Plai dC y m ru AMs to do the sam e.

W h a t’s thealternative to Con-Dem cuts?The Con-Dems have added £73billion to New Lab o u r ’s£130 billion cuts for 2011-15. The £203billion total could be raised in ONE YEARby taxing the rich and big business:★ A 2 per cent Wealth Tax on the richest10% of the population = £78 billion in oney e a r.★ A 20 per cent windfall tax on monopolyprofits in banking, energ y, retail food,armaments and pharmaceuticals = £16b i l l i o n .★ A ‘Robin Hood’ tax on City financialtransactions = £20 billion a year.★ Clamp down on British-ruled tax havensand rich and big business tax dodgers =£70 billion a year.★ Repayment of money owed by bailed-o u tbanks = £131 billion.

That’s billions MORE—not less—toinvest in education, health, housing, theenvironment, public transport andrenewable energ y.

Y Blaid Gomiwny ddol Gymreig Welsh Communist Pa rt y4

GOGLEDD CYMRUN O RTH WA L E SRhestr Rhanbarthol Regional List

★ Glyn Davies Popular campaigner forcommunity facilities, branch secretary ofconstruction union UCAT T, member ofDeeside Trades Council. ★ Trevor Jones Secretary of DeesideTrades Council and leading campaigner fortrade union rights. ★ Rhian Cartwright is a trade uniontutor with expertise in areas such asemployment law, health and safety at work,equal pay and domestic violence. ★ Graham Morgan People’s Charteractivist and campaigner against imperialistwar and for Cuba solidarity.

CA N O L B A RTH & GORLLEWIN CYMRU MID& WEST WA L E SRhestr Rhanbarthol Regional List

★ Catrin Ashton Welsh Communist Pa r t yexecutive member, cultural worker andfounding member of Cymdaithas Niclas★ Rick Newnham Leader of the We l s hCommunist Pa r t y, leading anti-warc a m p a i g n e r, lecturer in youth andcommunity work. ★ Barbara Thomas Community activistand campaigner for peace and solidaritywith Cuba, former teacher★ Clive Eliassen Former roofer andw o r ker with people with learningdifficulties, a campaigner for peace and forsolidarity with Cuba.

CANOL DE CYMRUSOUTH WALES CENTRALRhestr Rhanbarthol Regional List

★ Robert Griffiths lives in Cardiff and isgeneral secretary of the Communist Party ofBritain. He chairs the all-party anti-racisto rganisation Searchlight Cymru and is anactive campaigner on local trade union,social and environmental issues.★ Gwen Griffiths Te a c h e r, We l s hlanguage campaigner and former Taff ElyPlaid Cymru councillor.★ Fran Rawlings Social and communityw o r ke r, trade union activist and longstanding campaigner against poverty, lowpay and racism.★ Clive Griffiths Former Hirwuan &Penderyn Community Councillor, CNDactivist and campaigner on housing andcommunity issues.

DWYRAIN DE CYMRUSOUTH WALES EASTRhestr Rhanbarthol Regional List

★ Tommy Roberts Leading UCAT Tactivist and community campaigner,secretary of Merthyr Tydfil Trades Council★ Roy Evans Leading campaigner to‘ Keep our NHS Public’ and against massiveo p e n -cast mining developments★ Julian Jones Leading member of theYoung Communist League and studentactivist involved in recent studentdemonstrations and occupations★ Angharad Khan-Raja Health worke rand community campaigner

GORLLEWIN DE CYMRUSOUTH WEST WA L E SRhestr Rhanbarthol Regional List

★ John Morrissey College worke r, localtrade union official and People’s Chartera c t i v i s t★ Laura Picand UNISON Wales staffmember and active in Trade UnionistsAgainst the European Constitution and CNDC y m r u★ David Brown Defend Council Housingactivist, award-winning historian, ‘OperationBlack Vote’ campaigner ★ Dan Cole Students activist, convenor ofthe Welsh Young Communist League andcampaigner against racism and fascism.

YOU HAVE TWOVOTES ON MAY 5Use your second voteto VO T EC O M M U N I S T

BYDD DW YB L E I D L A I SG E N N YCH AR FAI 5Defnyddiwch yr ail iBLEIDLEISIO I’RC O M I W N Y D D I O N

Y Blaid Gomiwny ddol Gymreig Welsh Communist Pa rt yEtholiad ‘11/Election ‘11 Y m g e i s y d d i o n / C a n d i d a t e s

Ymunwch a Chomiwnyddion Cymru Join the Welsh CommunistsHoffwn i ddysgu mwy am y Blaid Gomiwnyddol I want to find out more about the Communist Pa r t y

E n w / n a m e

C y fe i ri a d / a d d r e s s

F fo n / P h o n e E b o s t / E m a i l

Anfownch at Y Blaid Gomwinyddol Gymreig Send to the Welsh Communist Party PO BOX 69, Pontypridd, CF37 9ABNeu ebostiwch i/ Or email to office@welshcommunists.orgPublished by the Welsh Communist Pa r t y, PO BOX 69, Pontypridd, CF37 9AB