Albert Owen, Labour MP for Ynys Môn, has recently taken every opportunity to claim that, despite the recession, Anglesey is doing a lot better now than it was in the 80s and 90s. For example see here and here.
Comparisons with 20-30 years ago are all very well - but what I think most Anglesey residents want to know is how is Anglesey actually doing NOW? And if we must have comparisons - how is our Island doing compared to our immediate neighbours in North Wales?
Happily the Welsh Assembly's latest "Regional Economic and Labour Market" statistical update for North Wales was released earlier this week and allows us to benchmark Anglesey's performance against the rest of North Wales. So how are we really doing? Here are the results (Anglesey is highlighted in red):
click to enlarge
These charts clearly show that Anglesey is trailing significantly behind the rest of North Wales on every single major economic indice.
No wonder that Albert Owen wants to divert our attention with spurious comparisons to the 80s and 90s! It is comparisons with our nearest neighbours which show how well Anglesey is really weathering the current recession - and the answer is disastrously.
2 comments:
We blame ourselves for this economic mess, we let these fools in, these politicians who led us like empty headed fools, into a financial hell. We can't blame one party, we blame them all.
All of this happened on Albert's shift, similar to the lookout on the Titanic, and now is he willing to go down with the ship? or will he flounder and splash about and try to save himself?
When the first cracks appeared in Anglesey, the first round of job losses, the closing of Anglesey Aluminum, he should had been there straight away, to plug the hole, but what did he do, he went scurrying around, looking for a lifejacket and a seat on a lifebaoat," I'm Albert GET ME OUTTA HERE!"
So now, he's probably thinking, what have I done?, I've let my people down, my Island down, and the whole lot is sinking like the Titanic.
Thank you Albert, for letting us all down, for ignoring the people, for not investing in us, for not trusting us and for betraying us all.
We will remember you, but I doubt if we will make a film about you, with Leonardo DeCaprio and Kate Winslett in it, it will probably be a black and white film, with you and Ieuan, probably in the same roles generated years ago by Laurel and Hardy, you can both skip away into the sunset, holding hands, whistling...In the blue ridge mountains of Anglesey,on the trail of the Menai Straits......
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