Let’s be frank. In terms of the child poverty agenda, the early signals from the coalition in Westminster have not been good. It’s only three short months since they took office, but already we’ve seen the axe fall on Child Trust Funds, we’ve seen tax credits slashed and we’ve seen a budget which will hit the very poorest in society hardest whilst leaving those who got us in to this economic mess relatively unscathed.

Worst of all, that precious target – to eradicate child poverty in the UK by 2020- seems to have fallen by the wayside in the deficit frenzy that has gripped Westminster. George Osborne’s assurance that his budget was ‘child poverty neutral’ felt like it had been tacked on as an afterthought, demonstrated a paucity of ambition that was perhaps not surprising, but was nonetheless incredibly disappointing.

Much more than just a symbolic gesture, the 2020 target has provided policymakers with something big to work towards, a yardstick by which our efforts could be judged and our failures measured. But more important than that even, it underlined our belief that investing in our children’s future is our best hope of securing social justice and a better society for the long term.

Offering all our children a decent start in life, ensuring that no child is held back because of economic disadvantage or poverty of aspiration – these are basic but vital values, values that separate the good society from the bad.

Whatever constraints prevent us from transforming our country to the extent that we would like now, it is nothing less than our duty to provide the next generation with the tools and the foundations to be able to make that change in the future. You simply cannot do that when nearly a third of children in Wales are growing up in poverty.

That is why Labour in Wales remains resolutely committed to that 2020 target. Yes we will face huge spending pressures too, but we will not allow global economic crisis to be used as an excuse for the complete dereliction of domestic responsibility.

For example, we are doing everything in our power to at least preserve the Welsh element of the trust fund scheme – Child Trust Fund Cymru- the Welsh ‘top up’ which invested a further £50 for every child, with more for disabled children and those from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds.

And as the consultation closes on our new Child Poverty Strategy – the overarching document that will underpin our efforts in Wales in the years ahead.

In many ways it’s really about knitting together services that already exist – much of the infrastructure has been put in place over the last decade, but making sure it’s easily accessible, tailored to the needs of individual families and above all family focused, will make a massive difference.

At the moment, too often you have a situation where there’s an organisation doing fantastic work with young children and their mums, but which has little or no contact with the FE college down the road, the local jobcentre plus or their local credit union – bringing these services together, creating that ‘one stop shop’ for mums and dads is a huge challenge, but one which we must rise to if we are to continue to tackle the root causes of child poverty effectively and efficiently.

Of course, this need not mean re-inventing the wheel. There are places where much of this integrated working is already taking place, which is why the ‘Pioneer Areas’ I announced in June are important,  allowing us to pinpoint and share examples of best practice across the country.

Underpinning all this is the Children and Families Measure, Welsh Labour’s new child poverty law, that brings the bulk of the Welsh public sector into the fight, by placing a statutory duty on departments of the Assembly Government, local authorities, the NHS and other public bodies to report annually on their efforts to combat child poverty within their respective remits.

Shortly before his departure from office, Rhodri Morgan painted a vivid picture of Welsh Labour’s dilemma, struggling to reconcile the competing visions and virtues of old and new Labour – guacamole and mushy peas as he put it in typically idiosyncratic fashion.

But taking the situation as we find it today, out of power in Westminster but in power in Cardiff Bay, the challenge Welsh Labour must face up to now is forging a new and radically different path, becoming a beacon of hope for the Labour movement as a whole in a sea of Tory misery. And by putting Welsh Labour values back on the national map, in their rightful place at the intellectual heart of the movement.

The Tories in Westminster are using deficit reduction for the largest assault on the state we’ve seen for a generation. If we are to be true to our values, Welsh labour must lead Wales in a very different direction to that being steered for England by Whitehall under the auspices of the Lib-Con coalition. We will naturally soon have a very different public realm to that over the border – our education and health systems will differ starkly.

We must add to that a very different, progressive stance on the life chances of our children.

Analysis from the independent think tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) revealed today that the poorest would be hit hardest by the measures announced in George Osborne’s June Budget. Mr Brennan said that whilst Welsh Labour will try its best to protect the most vulnerable people from the effects of the cuts, it would be a hard task.

Speaking in his Cardiff West constituency, Mr Brennan, Shadow Minister for Skills said,

“David Cameron and George Osborne say we’re all in this together, but the poorest will pick up the bill for their programme of savage cuts. Today’s independent analysis confirms that it is not just the economic recovery this budget has put at risk, it is the life chances of thousands of families in Wales.

“Labour in the Assembly and Westminster will work tirelessly to mitigate the effects of the Tory/Liberal agenda on the most vulnerable families, but such is the scale of the attack on our services and support programmes, that it will be no easy task.”

“Labour’s analysis of the coalition budget has been confirmed by today’s findings from a highly respected body. The poorest will be bit hardest in the coming months. We now know that no proper assessment was made by the Tory/Liberal government of the impact of its budget on the most vulnerable, and that its claim that the Budget was fair was empty spin.”

Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, Alistair Darling said,

“Just last week George Osborne told us that his Budget was ‘fair’. But it’s decisions, not warm words, that count. Today there’s conclusive evidence that far from being fair the Coalition has hit the poorest hardest, especially those with children. While Nick Clegg is in charge he would do well to ask himself what he thinks he’s doing providing cover for this old fashioned Tory Budget.”

In a message sent to party members today, Mr Roberts said,

“It has been a great privilege to serve the Labour Party in Wales for the past five years as General Secretary and previously as organiser. However, I feel this is the appropriate time for me to embark on new challenges. Given the crowded Welsh electoral timetable there is never a convenient time for a change in personnel but I believe now is the time that will cause least disruption to the party in Wales.”

Paying tribute to Chris Roberts, Welsh Labour leader and First Minister, Carwyn Jones said,

“Chris has been an excellent stabilising presence inside Welsh Labour during what could have been a turbulent period for the party. The leadership contest for example was very well run and gave a new energy and unity to Welsh Labour that we are still benefiting from today.  Despite having fewer resources than in the past, Chris assembled and mobilised a strong campaign team that out-performed expectations in May.  A few weeks after the election, Chris privately let me know he was looking to move on after five years in the job, so I knew today’s news was coming. I have enjoyed my time working with Chris, he always maintains a sense of humour even when the going is tough and I know he will be missed by politicians and members alike. I wish him the very best for the future.”

Chair of the Welsh Executive Committee, Jenny Smith added,

“On behalf of the Committee, I would like to thank Chris for the incredible amount of hard work he has put in over the years.  This has been the case between elections as well as during some difficult campaigns for the party.  Chris has been a breath of fresh air since he took the job of General Secretary and he will be sorely missed by the party in Wales.”

The Labour Party will set about the process of finding a new General Secretary in Wales in the near future.

Every new Government enjoys a honeymoon period during the first days in office; it is natural that people and the press want to believe something good, something different will come out of the coalition.  The sad truth of the matter however, is that the decisions being taken today – decisions based on right-wing ideology, not sound economics – will impact on our communities in Wales for years to come.

To take one example, the decision to increase VAT is both deeply unfair and unjustifiable.  Even the Liberal Democrats said as much during the election campaign.  They were right to call it a regressive tax, because unlike Labour’s tax proposals it disadvantages people at the bottom of the pay scale most.  People have a sense of this unfairness now, but it won’t be until January that the real impact will be felt.  Just yesterday, it was revealed that the NHS in Wales will be given a £20million VAT bill as a result of the Tory and Liberal tax hike.  That is money that could have been used for vital equipment and more trained nurses.

People say that ideology does not play a strong role in politics any more, but when you look at the decisions being made by David Cameron and the equally fiscally conservative, Nick Clegg, those decisions are based on deeply held, but outdated bankrupt political beliefs.  Independent economic experts have already said that the Government’s budget will reduce anticipated growth in the economy.  That is bad for business, bad for jobs, bad for our communities. But the macho political desire of this Government to slash public spending outweighs those considerations.

The new Chancellor, George Osborne, has said that unemployment is “never a price worth paying” and I agree with the sentiment. The fact is however, that the June Budget is estimated to put an extra 150,000 out of work.  Those are people that the experts say would still have a job under Labour.  We know that in North Wales, we need more and better long-term employment opportunities, but the actions of this Government are moving things the other way.  The Future Jobs Fund helped thousands of young people in Wales find real work and under Labour it would have helped thousands more – it was one of the first things the Tories and Lib Dems axed.  So whilst Osborne may talk the talk on unemployment, his actions speak louder than words.

I take no pleasure in forecasting difficulties for our communities, the coalition is simply taking the wrong course of action and using the cover of deficit reduction to bring in cuts beyond what is needed. Coupled with VAT rises it will slow growth and consumption and lead to higher unemployment and hit the people of Wales hard. We have had economic growth in the last three quarters, that is now at risk and the economy is too fragile to sustain the policies this government has outlined in its first 100 days. The Labour led Assembly will take action to limit the damage caused by the UK government but with a much smaller budget it too will be forced to take difficult decisions.

These are great results for Welsh Labour and show that since the General Election, momentum has swung firmly back behind our party. The wins for Nigel Dix in Blackwood and Bernard Willis in Tredegar are testament to their hard work, and the hard work of our volunteers on the ground.

Our membership is still on the up and with every wrong turn being taken by the ConDem Government contrasting with Labour’s social justice agenda in the Assembly, people are continuing to come back to Labour.

A breakdown of results can be found here.

Peter Hain, Labour’s Shadow Welsh Secretary had this to say reacting to today’s budget.

“The scandal of this budget is that the poorest will be hit the worst. Increasing VAT to 20% will affect everyone, most of all pensioners and those in poverty. As the Financial Times has said, areas like Wales that rely most on the public sector will be hit hardest by the deep cuts announced to public spending.

“Worse still, these big cuts are based upon a big lie: that the public finances are so terrible, the cuts must be faster and deeper than Labour’s very tough deficit reduction plan which would have halved borrowing within four years. Cameron and Osborne have been deliberately scaring the public, with Clegg and Cable joining in.

“These brutal cuts are ideological not economic, the new ConDem Government is not cutting savagely because it needs to, it is cutting savagely because it wants to.”

The Party’s five leadership contenders will be setting out their stall at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday, 4th July.

This is a members’ event and you will need to register here: www.labour.org.uk/cardiffhustings

If you have any queries with applying for a ticket, please contact Conference Services on 0870 043 5533 or conferenceservices@new.labour.org.uk

You can read about the contest here: http://www2.labour.org.uk/leadership-2010

And to have your say, you can join the party here: https://secure2.labour.org.uk/join

“Combined with the savage cuts to S4C’s budget, this is a huge blow to Welsh broadcasting inflicted by the new ConDem government.

“£12m had already been ring-fenced for this project, which was coming from a surplus in the digital switchover budget. Wales Live was an exciting and innovative concept that would have safeguarded hundreds of Welsh jobs and offered viewers a greater choice of TV news. A lot of people had put put a lot of work into getting it this far and it’s bitterly disappointing that the new Government has pulled the plug at this late stage.

“Creative industries in Wales are struggling and the media is in crisis, Welsh news on channel 3 is at serious risk of disappearing off our screens and it’s outrageous that the Tories and Lib Dems in Government are offering no support.”

Alun Davies, who chaired the Assembly’s Broadcasting Committee, called for an urgent government statement on the issue and is writing to the Assembly’s Presiding Officer asking for the committee to be re-established to review the position facing the provision of news in Wales.

He said: “Only a few months ago Kirsty Williams wrote on twitter that she thought the Tories would cancel IFNC contracts and “sell Welsh news down the river.”

“Well – with the support of her party, they have done just that.

“Kirsty also called on the Minister for Heritage to give assurances that he has lobbied the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to ensure the contract is signed.

“I want to know what discussions she has had with her Westminster colleagues because it doesn’t sound as if they have listened to her.

“Access to plurality in impartial news is essential in any democracy. This decision throws Wales’ needs into the long grass.

“The Secretary of State has confused local news serving the cities of England with national news serving the needs of Wales.

“It is shocking that this coalition government is so ignorant of our needs. They simply could not give a damn about Wales.

“I would have expected Kirsty Williams and Nick Bourne to have some influence in their parties but it appears that they have none at all. Under this government Wales is the forgotten part of Britain.”

Kirsty Williams on Twitter
“Believes that we need the Government to get on and sign the IFNC contracts before the Tories cancel them and sell Welsh news down the river.”
5:49 PM Mar 17th http://twitter.com/kirstyam

Kirsty Williams on 17th March
“I have concerns about the input of Welsh voices to those who will decide the successful bid today, but I hope that the Minister will be able to give us some
assurance that he has been in close contact with his colleagues in the Department for  Culture, Media and Sport about the importance of this project to ensure that Welsh voices have been heard and that he will do all that he can to lobby DCMS to ensure that the contract is signed before the general election. Otherwise, as we have just heard from the Conservatives, we are in danger of losing this proposal altogether. It is really important that it gets signed as quickly as possible.”
17 March 2010  (See attachment)

Eleanor Burnham (14th March) “The Welsh Liberal Democrats held a debate in the National Assembly showing our support for IFNC and our position has not changed. We believe that believe that high quality television and radio news and current affairs are essential components of an inclusive democracy.”

Mr Clegg was forced into a u-turn after telling MPs that the government would be campaigning for a ‘yes’ vote in a referendum on more powers for Wales.  Seemingly unknown to the Lib Dem leader, Tory Ministers, Cheryl Gillan and David Jones, had already committed to sitting on the fence by remaining neutral in any referendum.

Nick Clegg made his initial positive response, which he later retracted, responding to a question from Ian Lucas, Labour’s Wrexham MP.

After the retraction Mr Lucas said,

“It is no use Mr Clegg standing at the despatch box flanneling. It shows the complete disarray and shambles in the government towards the referendum.

“They need to come clean on their views and have a cohesive approach.”

Peter Black, a Welsh Lib Dem AM, admitted that Nick Clegg was weak on Wales, saying,

“…Clegg does appear to have developed a certain blind spot when it comes to Wales in recent weeks…”

With friends like these eh, Nick?

All are welcome and limited tickets are still available.  For more information or to book a ticket then please contact Sarah Murphy on 02920 877701 or Sarah_Murphy@new.labour.org.uk.

We look forward to seeing you there!