Madam,

Mr MacIntyre considers my reactions to the cuts to local government spending as ‘bizarre’ (‘In a crisis worst-off must be protected’, Letters, 8 November); let’s get it clear, despite the London Tories’ so-called austerity, this Labour Welsh Government had a choice. They had an increase of 5.2 per cent in their spending powers this year, around £1 billion. This is how they chose to spend this money: economy and transport: +18.4 per cent; health: +7.5 per cent; education: +6.3 per cent; energy and rural affairs: +3.6 per cent; local government: 0 per cent. It is ‘bizarre’ that the finance minister Mark Drakeford, despite warnings of the consequences, sees fit to cut finance for essential local services to the benefit of other departments. He could have passed on an equal share of the extra five per cent he had to spend, or even two per cent, but he decided that local services should have a cut to the detriment of the wellbeing of our citizens. So if local authorities are unable to maintain important services, we know who to hold to account.

By the way, Mr MacIntyre’s comments on the use of balances shows a lack of understanding of basic accounting. Gwynedd Council has used balance to the limit of propriety and of course balances can only be used once and do not solve longer-term finance.

Mr MacIntyre is of course a supporter of the London-centric Labour leadership who have shown their predilection for strict central control. Despite numerous motions to their conference calling for a People’s Vote on Europe they fudged the issue and avoided a clear call from their membership. We in Wales must reject the inept politics of Westminster. Surely we in Wales can do things better? Unfortunately we have a weak and incompetent Labour government here. I invite Mr MacIntyre to join with me, under the inspiring leadership of Adam Price, to join Plaid Cymru, the only party which puts the interests of the people of Wales first. The alternative is to remain under the existing nightmare of Westminster control under whichever British party.

Yours etc, Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn, Gwynedd Council leader.

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