Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy last night highlighted the significant disparities in funding for local authorities throughout Wales.
In an impassioned address, she highlighted the stark reality that Conwy is set to experience a 9.7% surge in council tax this year, resulting in a 20% escalation over the past two years. Since the year 2000, the council tax in Conwy will have soared by 256%, marking the highest increase in Wales.
Meanwhile, councils across the south coast of Wales will only be seeing rises to council tax of between 6-7% and not nearly the levels of cuts that North Wales is experiencing.
Commenting further Janet said:
“Following years of financial mismanagement and unsuccessful vanity projects, we are now facing an unavoidable reality – some of the most substantial cuts in the history of devolution to local services and the highest increases in council tax across North Wales.
“Conwy will see the smallest increase in local government funding settlement of only £3.9 billion from 2023-24. This is a reduction in real terms. This only represents a 2% increase which I note is 1% less than the 3% Welsh average.
“At the other end of the spectrum, Cardiff and Swansea have received significantly more than the average at 4.1% and 3.8% respectively.
“This is blatantly unfair and just highlights how the Welsh Government have again been playing politics with the people’s purse by giving Labour councils more bites of the apple while leaving North Wales to wither.
“The funding formula is a disgrace; unfair and outdated it must be changed. I am therefore, as I have done for over 10 years, calling for an independent review of the funding formula to finally end this endless struggle for equality."
ENDS
Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS
Tynnodd Janet Finch-Saunders, yr Aelod o'r Senedd dros Aberconwy sylw neithiwr at y gwahaniaethau sylweddol mewn cyllid ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru.
Mewn anerchiad angerddol, tynnodd sylw at y realiti amlwg y bydd y dreth gyngor yn cynyddu 9.7% ym Mwrdeistref Sirol Conwy eleni gan arwain at gynnydd o 20% dros y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf. Mae’r dreth gyngor yng Nghonwy wedi cynyddu 256% ers y flwyddyn 2000, sef y cynnydd uchaf yng Nghymru.
Yn y cyfamser, bydd cynghorau ar hyd arfordir y De yn gweld cynnydd o rhwng 6-7% i'r dreth gyngor ac ni fyddant braidd o gwbl yn profi lefel y toriadau sy'n wynebu siroedd y Gogledd.
Wrth siarad ymhellach am hyn, dywedodd Janet:
“Yn dilyn blynyddoedd o gamreoli ariannol a phrosiectau gwag aflwyddiannus, rydym bellach yn wynebu realiti anochel - rhai o'r toriadau mwyaf sylweddol yn hanes datganoli i wasanaethau lleol a'r cynnydd uchaf yn y dreth gyngor ledled y Gogledd.
“Conwy fydd â'r cynnydd lleiaf yn y setliad cyllid llywodraeth leol - dim ond £3.9 biliwn o 2023-24. Mae hyn yn ostyngiad mewn termau real. Dim ond cynnydd o 2% ydi o, sydd 1% yn llai na chyfartaledd Cymru o 3%.
“Ar ben arall y sbectrwm, mae Caerdydd ac Abertawe wedi derbyn llawer mwy na'r cyfartaledd ar 4.1% a 3.8% yn y drefn honno.
“Mae hyn yn gwbl annheg ac mae’n tynnu sylw at sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi chwarae gwleidyddiaeth gyda’r pwrs cyhoeddus unwaith eto drwy roi sawl cegaid blasus i gynghorau Llafur tra’n gadael y Gogledd i grebachu.
“Mae'r fformiwla ariannu yn warthus; yn annheg a hen ffasiwn, ac mae'n rhaid ei newid. Felly, yn union fel rydw i wedi’i wneud ers dros ddeng mlynedd, rwy'n galw am adolygiad annibynnol o'r fformiwla ariannu i roi terfyn ar y frwydr ddiddiwedd hon dros gydraddoldeb.”
DIWEDD
Llun: Janet Finch-Saunders AS
