I am sorry the current financial situation is being made worse by a sense that things are not running smoothly in Westminster. The UK Government faces a set of problems to which there is no easy answer. We assumed the Covid-19 pandemic was a once in a generation crisis and borrowed vast sums to pay for the furlough scheme to ensure we made it through with minimum impact on jobs and incomes. Then as we planned our recovery, Russia invaded Ukraine. Gas and oil prices soared, creating inflation and further instability. The government needs to find vast sums of money to subsidise energy prices. Income tax rises will leave people less well off, rises in taxes on businesses could mean less investment and proposed rises in borrowing has caused the financial markets to increase lending rates, resulting in higher interest rates for mortgage owners and investors, as well as higher inflation. Higher inflation creates an understandable wish for higher wages, which in the public sector has to be paid for by higher taxes or further borrowing - and so the cycle goes on. As a member of government, I fully accept the last few weeks have not been our finest. But while there is no simple answer to the problems we face, the government remains committed to an energy price guarantee until April next year and to targeting further help at the least well-off.
St Mary’s Priory Church was packed to the rafters on Saturday evening for the Monmouth Male Voice Choir 10th anniversary gala concert. Every seat was taken and I must say it was an absolutely superb performance. The best yet! This was a real community event, with a medley of old and new numbers. It was also fantastic to see some of the old conductors. Aneirin Hughes recounted a funny story about how the choir was formed in a pub by a handful of people. They all agreed it was a good idea – but they couldn’t sing or speak a word of Welsh! A decade later and the choir has performed in films and eisteddfods, at prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall and St David’s Hall in Cardiff, and singing on the pitch before Wales rugby matches. I was sorry to miss choir chairman Huw Edwards, who was unfortunately ill with Covid along with a few other members. I wish them a speedy recovery and on behalf of everyone who was lucky enough to be in the audience, a big thank you for a truly wonderful concert.
*Published in the Monmouthshire Beacon on 19 October 2022 and Abergavenny Chronicle on 20 October 2022*