Budget problems

Irrespective of the level of government many actions and policies are delivered from the perspective of common sense rather than blatant party loyalty. This is particularly true for local government but crunch time comes when budget votes are in the offing. The One Wales Government in Cardiff will find a degree of comfort that the SNP will find elusive in Edinburgh. The budget talks with Labour and the Liberal Democrats have broken down and trouble is brewing. Labour was never going to make it easy but they do have point when asking for more apprenticships and training. The Liberal Democrat demand for a 2p cut in Income Tax was never feasible and is just another example of populist politics without any great thought of the consequence. Its more important for them to be popular rather than responsible.

This brings me to Ceredigion County Council. The majority of the rainbow coalition is only two and all will have to be present and in agreement for the budget to be passed. It will be a tense time. Mark Williams MP came up with quite a good quote when the Liberal Democrats were discussing the Plaid Cymru/Liberal Democrat rainbow coalition "Rainbows only last as long as the sun shines", it is a quote that might come back to haunt him if Liberal Democrat councillors in Ceredigion fail to tow the rainbow line.