The real agenda?

Tweet No-one would expect me to always agree with Dylan Jones-Evans, given our different political perspectives. But his articles and posts are usually worth reading, and often thought-provoking. And he has a very good way of challenging things which others may be taking for granted.

Today, however, I was somewhat taken aback by his commendation of the report produced jointly by the IoD and the self-styled 'TaxPayers' Alliance'. I've always suspected that the TPA was a Tory front organisation, and I've been amazed at the way in which the media have treated them as though they were some sort of independent think tank.

The report is certainly worth a read, because it gives an interesting insight to the minds of those ideologically opposed to the public sector. And let me be clear about this after looking at the report – ideology is what drives it, not economics.

I don't disagree with everything they say – cutting the Eurofighter project, for instance, is something which features in our own proposals. But some of the rest is pretty alarming to anyone who believes in protecting the most vulnerable in society.

So, whilst Plaid argues for an increase in the state pension, this document argues for a freeze – a real terms cut.

Whilst Plaid argues for fair funding for Wales, the report argues for a freeze on the block transfer to the Assembly budget - and then argues for significant cuts in large areas of education, health, and social services spending which would obviously lead to significant consequential cuts in the block as a result of the Barnett formula.

Whilst Plaid remains opposed to student tuition fees, the report argues that student loans should be at commercial interest rates – directly adding to the burden of student debt.

Anyone supporting this report is supporting the abolition of free TV licences for pensioners, means testing pensioners' bus passes, abolishing child benefit, abolishing the EMA, abolishing Sure Start - I could go on. And suggesting that these can in any way be described as 'government waste' or 'efficiency savings' is beyond belief.

The question is – is this an insight to the real agenda of the Tories? Dylan is, after all, the Chairman of the Welsh Conservatives' Economic Commission, and described the report as an 'excellent document'.