“The end of a year is traditionally the time to take stock and reflect on events over the past 12 months.
“2013 was a fantastic year of achievement in Welsh sport. From another Six Nations title; a Welsh dominated Lions team; Cardiff City promoted to the Premier League and a young man from Cardiff becoming the world’s most expensive footballer.
“Away from sport, this autumn saw people from across the world travel to Cardiff to celebrate world music at WOMEX. We also welcomed news that next year’s NATO summit will be held in the Celtic Manor– a major coup for Wales and one we fully intend to take advantage of in promoting Wales to the world.
“This year we lost one of the greatest figures of modern times. Nelson Mandela’s message of forgiveness and peace, to change his country for the better rather than seek retribution, will be remembered for generations to come.
“There are also some positive signs that Wales is recovering well from one of the longest economic downturns in living memory. The number of people in work in Wales is now at a record high – with Wales outperforming the UK as a whole.
“There has also been a big fall in the number of young people out of work – with our flagship Jobs Growth Wales programme helping to create thousands of opportunities for the workforce of the future.
“This year has also seen a massive increase in the level of foreign investment, the result of a major push to attract companies to Wales.
“Despite the hard-fought economic progress, I fully recognise that life continues to be tough for many people in Wales. Spiralling living costs, combined with changes to the welfare system, are clearly impacting upon people’s ability to meet day-to-day costs. That is why we will continue to do everything we can to support people through this difficult period.
“2013 has been an important year in the devolution journey of Wales. The UK Government response to the recommendations of the Silk Commission is a significant milestone and will give us the powers we need to continue to deliver for the people of Wales.
“The new system for presumed consent for organ donation – passed by the Assembly in early July – was a landmark piece of legislation, leading the way in the UK and attracting attention from nations across the world. The passing of the Active Travel Bill in October was also a world first.
“We re-affirmed our commitment to a sustainable NHS. Despite UK Government cuts, the budget for the Welsh NHS is the biggest it has ever been, with an additional investment of over £600million secured for the next three years.
“We are open and honest about the challenges we face but our commitment will not falter. Next year we will continue to focus on delivering on the things that matter to you, the people of Wales.
“I wish you all a happy New Year.”
Carwyn Jones is another politician keen to quote the trendy "number of people in work" line. It is welcome news that more people are in work than before but the bare statistic doers not mean that Welsh people are better off, quite the reverse if other statistical indicators are used.
In the days of the Thatcher slump the TV news used to end with number of jobs gained compared with lost. We used to get reports along the lines of,
"Rolls Royce announced that 50 jobs are to go this week; On the plus side Sainsbury's and Tesco announced that three new stores are to be built with 420 new jobs created."
The problem with these new jobs, than as now, is that they were low paid, low skilled and often part time. I do not think the number of people in work is a particularly valuable economic indicator and people in Wales struggling to survive and doing two or more part time jobs are not fooled. It seems the politicians are taken in by this statistic or perhaps they just think the electorate is ignorant of the true economic situation?
I agree with Richard. The grim reality is that the work available in Wales these days is poorly paid. I saw the industrial base collapse around me during the years of the Thatcher dictatorship. Government documents recently opened up show the Tories had a plan to close most of the collieries a year before the Miners`s strike. Having destroyed the coal industry and the NUM, she picked off the rest of our industrial infrastucture, and promoted financial services and the City of London. I feel sorry for Carwyn Jones, because he doesnt have any economic control f the situation or any real policies to create jobs and wealth.I used to think that Governments couldnt create jobs, but until the crash, the Irish Government did a good job and pushing several sectors creating the Celtic Tiger, but the Welsh Government doesnt have that sort of power or ambition. The other problem is that with free movement of labour, and I`m not being anti migrant, is that no country in the EU can hope to solve its econmic problems of unemployment, because the EU was founded on the principle of free movement of capital and labour. Carwyn Jones is on a hiding to nothing because Wales is one of the poorest regions in the EU let alone Britain. A low wage, poorly skilled educationally failing economy.I spent twenty or more years listening to politicians of all parties saying how good the economy was doing, while watching factories close around me.So these day, unless its the post Christmas NewYears boredom, I dont really bother to read what politicians say, because I know the are lying or have lost contact with reality.
Regarding jobs and employment, the Observer today, print Milibands promise that Labour will close a loophole.This allows agencies to recruit foreign labour, for jobs not offered to the indigenous unemployed, at a rate lower than the minimum wage. The reality means that many British employers use this loophole to employ cheap foriegn agency staff at the cost of the local unemployed. It is no wonder that so many of our unemployed 16 to 24 year olds feel their life is meaning less. We should name and shame these agencies and employers who not only exploit migrant labour, but leave our
young, and old, unemployed in a state of misery.
Kate Whithorn is probably right but I can't see the European Commissioners allowing any interference in their policy of free movement of capital and labour outlined by John Owen. The main problem for the economy is membership of the European Union. Senior Labour politicians, includimg Peter Shore, Hugh Gaitskill and Tony Benn warned of what was going to happen.
As long as we are members of this club there is little our home grown politicians, be they Labour, Plaid Cymru or Tory can do. The needs of Europe wil always come first. If there are people in Eastern European member states that are living in poverty then their needs will be seen, by the Commission, as being paramount. They will gain free access to our labour market, schools and medical treatment.
Nato conference coming to celtic manor is nothing to do with him, nor the acievements of welsh rugby and the donation of organs amounts to body snatching. If the nhs in wales wasnt so poor then people wouldnt mind donating organs after death but where is the guarantee that people lives will try to be saved first and not seen for how many organs can go to others.