In a visit to North Wales last week, the Labour leadership candidate David Milliband allegedly "emphasised the need for an alert, fighting opposition keen to protect Wales’ vital manufacturing base and the future of companies like Airbus.
Perhaps someone in his entourage should point out to him that the relative importance of manufacturing to the Welsh economy actually rose from 27 per cent to 28 per cent during the last Conservative administration between 1992 and 1997.
In contrast, it had declined to 18 per cent of the nation’s economic output since Labour came to power in 1997.
That is probably the most damning indictment of Labour’s economic and industrial policies in Wales during the last twelve years.
Whilst manufacturing grew by 31 per cent in the five years between 1992 and 1997 under John Major's Government, it has shrunk under the three consecutive Labour Governments we have had since.
Perhaps someone in his entourage should point out to him that the relative importance of manufacturing to the Welsh economy actually rose from 27 per cent to 28 per cent during the last Conservative administration between 1992 and 1997.
In contrast, it had declined to 18 per cent of the nation’s economic output since Labour came to power in 1997.
That is probably the most damning indictment of Labour’s economic and industrial policies in Wales during the last twelve years.
Whilst manufacturing grew by 31 per cent in the five years between 1992 and 1997 under John Major's Government, it has shrunk under the three consecutive Labour Governments we have had since.
I fully expect Peter Hain's rewriting of Welsh history to continue but you would expect that the favourite for the leadership of Her Majesty's opposition would at least get his facts right before making public utterances that undermine his credibility.
