TUC Cymru called today for Wales to get greater borrowing powers and for the needs-based element of the Barnett formula (governing the calculation of devolved government funding by the Treasury) to be updated.

Unison Cymru/Wales regional secretary Jess Turner told Congress that it was already recognised that Wales is entitled to public services of the same quality as those in the rest of Britain, so “funding that Wales receives from the UK government should reflect the higher cost of delivering public services” given its sparsely populated rural areas, older population and higher levels of deprivation — but the formula was outdated.

She called for an independent body to settle disputes between Wales and the Treasury over spending too, citing the HS2 project in which a London to Birmingham line was classified as an “England and Wales” project, denying Wales £845 million in spending as its equivalent share had it been identified as an England-only project.