Titanic blame game over Welsh spending cuts
Pick a number, any number. The chances are it will show that Wales has fared better than most/been short-changed/targeted for cuts in the Chancellor's spending review* (delete as appropriate).
The say the Welsh assembly government budget (WAG) will be cut in real terms by 11 per cent during the next four years, a similar percentage cut as the Scottish government, one per cent more than the Northern Ireland executive.
Not so, say the assembly government who use a different set of figures to suggest they face a cut of Β£900m from their Β£15bn budget next year - a 6 per cent cut in a single year (still rather less than many Whitehall departments).
WAG say the cuts are the deepest since World War II - not so, say the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who say they're the deepest since the 1970s.
Plaid Cymru, at Westminster at least, say the cuts will be barely more than those planned over the next three years by Labour. Plaid's parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd said: "Before the election, the Wales Audit Office said that Labour's plans for Wales would have cut Β£3bn over the next three years. Under the Tories and Lib Dems, it will be Β£2.9bn."
All very confusing for those of us who lack accountancy qualifications, with the rhetoric given added spice by the fact that different parties are in power in Cardiff and Westminster and the prospect of Welsh elections next May.
Labour blame the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats; the Tories and Lib Dems blame the last Labour government, and Plaid Cymru blame everyone.
What is beyond dispute is that for the first time since devolution, WAG Ministers are going to have to implement spending cuts, even if the Treasury say public spending by 2015 will only be back to the levels of 2008.
It's possibly time to dredge up Disraeli's old quote about lies, damned lies and statistics.
The political lexicon can be challenged at times like these. Elfyn Llwyd accused the UK Government of re-arranging the deckchairs - a point he also made about a Gordon Brown carried out last year.
As the late put it, eight years ago, it may be time for the deckchairs to be packed off on a long holiday.
Hello. I'm David Cornock and I'm parliamentary correspondent for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Wales. This is the blog for the latest news and gossip from the Westminster village - with a Welsh accent.
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