Your MS Writes: South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones

THE cost of living is something that is affecting us all, whether it be rising energy costs or the price of fuel.

The UK Government has introduced a huge package of support to try and ease pressure on those feeling the pinch the most. Whether it be raising the national insurance threshold, meaning you keep more of your money before you start paying tax, or introducing a council tax rebate to help with energy bills.

I would have expected the same from the Welsh Government here in Cardiff Bay.

I thought their focus would wholly be on easing any financial pressure on hard working people up and down Wales.

Sadly, I was mistaken. Instead we see the Labour Welsh Government turn the attention elsewhere and focus on the wrong issues.

We’ve seen Labour and Plaid Cymru, as part of their coalition, announce that they will expand the Senedd to 96 members.

I believe Wales does not need more politicians in Cardiff Bay – we need more teachers, doctors, dentists, and nurses.

With residents across the country facing cost-of-living pressures, the last thing they need is to be footing the bill – expected to be around £100 million over five years at least – for Labour and Plaid’s pet project.

Ministers should be spending that money on tackling the big issues facing Wales, not wasting time and cash looking at upping the number of Senedd members.

It’s not just more politicians though, we’ve seen Welsh Labour openly talk about the introduction of a tourism tax.

I fear Wales could lose out on being the number one destination choice in the future for holiday makers if this Labour government pushes ahead with its ridiculous tax plans, which will do nothing but punish businesses by discouraging tourists and ultimately cost people’s jobs.

At a time when Labour ministers should be a friend to the industry as we look to bounce back from the pandemic, they have decided to be the enemy and punish them with additional taxes.

It is vital Labour ministers stop dictating policy from Cardiff Bay, listen and work with tourism businesses and industry leaders, and drop these economically-illiterate tax plans which will punish hardworking tourism communities across Wales.

Sadly the Welsh Labour approach to their 22 years running the economy can be summed up by Lee Waters, the then-deputy minister for the economy, now deputy minister for climate change, who in June 2019 said “we don’t really know what we’re doing on the economy”.

Labour need to put their misguided ideas on the back burner and instead focus on the people’s priorities.