Conservatives want apology for Jo Stevens Budget tweet
The Welsh secretary should apologise for "politicising" civil servants in a post about the UK government's Budget on the Wales Office's X account, say the Conservatives.They complained to the cabinet secretary – the top civil servant at Westminster – after Jo Stevens' post said the Budget "delivered for Wales for the first time in a generation".The chief executive of the UK Government Communication Service agreed the post "could have been phrased better" and said he had spoken to the Wales Office. The Wales Office said the matter was discussed with its director to "ensure continued compliance with guidelines".
Official resources should not be used for party political purposes, under the Civil Service Code.In her letter to the cabinet secretary, Conservative shadow secretary of state for Wales Mims Davies said:"I am sure you will agree we simply cannot have taxpayer-funded resources being misappropriated on these types of messages and your civil servants being actively political inside departments, and perhaps under pressure to message this way."She went on to ask for what was being done to investigate the secretary of state and her officials.In reply, Simon Baugh, chief executive of the Government Communication Service said: "In this particular case, while the text of the post echoed a short section of a HM Treasury press release, I acknowledge that it could have been better phrased, and I have discussed the matter with the Wales Office."In a statement following the exchange of letters Davies said: "We now need the secretary of state for Wales to step up and apologise for this conduct in politicising our impartial civil servants."
This is not the first time that Conservatives have clashed with Jo Stevens over the use of social media.In October last year Davies's predecessor, Byron Davies, complained about a different social media post on the Wales Office account, which he said broke civil service code, and brought the government department into disrepute.The Wales Office said it had done "nothing improper in expressing regret about the previous administration".Earlier in the year, Stevens called for a formal investigation into the then Welsh Secretary David TC Davies and accused him of breaching rules of behaviour for ministers.She said he had recorded a video attacking plans to increase the size of the Senedd in his government office.The ministerial code says they should not generally be used for party or constituency activities.At the time a UK government source said that the video was recorded inside for security reasons.A Wales Office spokesperson said the government department "follows guidance set out by the Government Communication Service and mandatory training is undertaken on the use of social media on official government channels"."The post in question highlighted how the UK government is investing in Wales. "This matter has been discussed with the Wales Office director to ensure continued compliance with guidelines."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
34 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Rachel Reeves refuses to rule out MORE tax hikes after spending spree plunged into turmoil
RACHEL Reeves refused to rule out hiking up taxes after her spending plans were threatened by dismal growth figures. The Chancellor insisted she wasn't going to write Budgets for the next four years after the UK economy for shrank by 0.3 per cent in April - the biggest monthly drop for 18 months. 1 Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted today she's not going to write the next four Budgets after being pressed on autumn tax rises Credit: Sky News The move came after she hit back at suggestions she was the 'Klarna Chancellor' after accusations her spending review was buy now and pay later. Ms Reeves told LBC News: "I am not going to write four years worth of budgets... It would be very risky for a Chancellor to write a budget in a world as uncertain as this. "I can say I won't have to repeat a budget like last year, I wiped the slate clean. We do now have that path to lower borrowing and debt". The Chancellor was speaking after she revelled in a £300 billion spending splurge increasing spending for health and defence and outlining new infrastructure projects. But Ms Reeves pointed to "uncertainty about tariffs" had led to the fall in GDP for April following Donald Trump''s global tariff war. The world trade war combined with stubborn inflation and slow growth are likely to see tax rises or major spending cuts at the Budget this autumn. She said: 'We know that April was a challenging month. "There was a huge uncertainty about tariffs, and one of the things if you dig into those GDP numbers today is exports weakening and also production weakening because of that uncertainty in the world around tariffs.' Analysis: Growth figures are wake up call after spending splurge By Ryan Sabey, Economics Editor Rachel Reeves revelled in a major spending splurge yesterday - but this morning she wakes up to a reality check. The Chancellor says that the figures are "clearly disappointing" but its a stark reminder of the fragility of the UK economy and how difficult it will be to turbo-charge growth. The effects of 'Awful April' - when a slew of added costs for business including that national insurance rise came in - has hit home. This Labour government has put that push for growth as their number one mission which will have the knock-on effect of driving up living standards. After a positive start to the year - where we saw growth up by 0.7 per cent - today we see it drop by 0.3 per cent for April. We shouldn't take one month's figures in isolation but the fear is conditions for business and entrepreneurs have hit them hard. The hike to national insurance contributions and minimum wage for firms kicked in at the start of April and this is how the economy has reacted. As the British Chambers of Commerce outline the NI rise has hit investment, recruitment and prices. The uncertainty of Donald Trump's tariffs is also a drag on the UK with the largest monthly fall on record in goods exports to the US. With dismal economic growth, the global trade war and stubborn inflation, the Chancellor will surely be left with little choice but to cut spending or raise taxes in the autumn. She has iron-clad fiscal rules she insists are non-negotiable so it feels inevitable something will have to give. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch hit out at Ministers saying they were waging a "war" with business. She highlighted how 'Awful April' when National Insurance contributions for business were hikes and minimum wage payments went up. The party leader said: "This is a war on the private sector, where private businesses are having to cut their coat according to their cloth. "They're having to downsize. They're having to let go of staff, but no reforms are being asked for any parts of the public sector. 'Of course, we want to fund public services, but we need to make sure that we're doing things better.' Ms Reeves outlined her spending review yesterday saying it was time for national renewal. She told Labour MPs at an event last night that she needed to "sell" the benefits of her plans to voters on the doorstep.
ITV News
2 hours ago
- ITV News
UK economy shrinks by more than expected in April in blow to Rachel Reeves
The UK economy contracted by 0.3% in April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in a blow for Chancellor Rachel Reeves just a day after she unveiled her spending review. Figures from the ONS showed the economy went into reverse after growing by 0.2% in March and 0.5% in February. It was also worse than the 0.1% contraction expected by most economists. ONS Director of Economic Statistics Liz McKeown said April saw the largest monthly fall on record in goods exports to the United States, with decreases across most types of goods, following the recent introduction of Donald Trump's trade tariffs. Reeves acknowledged that the latest GDP figures were 'clearly disappointing' but insisted her spending review would help deliver growth. The chancellor said: 'Our number one mission is delivering growth to put more money in people's pockets through our Plan for Change, and while these numbers are clearly disappointing, I'm determined to deliver on that mission. 'In yesterday's spending review we set out how we'll deliver jobs and growth – whether that's improving city region transport, a record investment in affordable homes or funding Sizewell C nuclear power station. We're investing in Britain's renewal to make working people better off'. ONS Director of Economic Statistics Liz McKeown said that services and manufacturing both fell, but over the last three months, as a whole, GDP still grew, "with signs that some activity may have been brought forward from April to earlier in the year". 'Both legal and real estate firms fared badly in April, following a sharp increase in house sales in March when buyers rushed to complete purchases ahead of changes to Stamp Duty. Car manufacturing also performed poorly after growing in the first quarter of the year," she said. 'In contrast April was a strong month for construction, research and development and retail, with increases in these only partially offsetting falls elsewhere." The Conservative shadow chancellor said the fall in GDP in April was the result of 'Rachel Reeves' economic vandalism'. Sir Mel Stride said: 'Before the election Labour promised 'growth, growth, growth' but today's fall in GDP lays bare the disappointing consequences of Rachel Reeves' economic vandalism. 'Yesterday, the Chancellor should have taken corrective action to fix the problems she has caused. But instead her spending review has all but confirmed what many feared: more taxes are coming. 'Under Labour, we have seen taxes hiked, inflation almost double, unemployment rise, and growth fall. With more taxes coming, things will only get worse and hard-working people will pay the price.'
Western Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Anglesey and Celtic freeports job hopes 'downgraded'
Plaid Cymru's Luke Fletcher criticised the pace of change at the Anglesey freeport as well as the Celtic freeport based around Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire. Mr Fletcher said people were promised transformative economic benefits, tens of thousands of jobs, billions in investment and a green revolution – "but years on, we are still waiting". "That's a fact, that's a reality," the shadow economy secretary warned. "Now, if freeports are meant to be a cornerstone of our economic strategy, then we need to actually understand exactly what we're getting and, right now, there's a huge lack of clarity and credibility." Freeports, originally a Conservative UK Government policy, offer tax breaks in an effort to boost business. Mr Fletcher said an initial promise of 20,000 jobs by 2030 was revised down to 17,000 on the Welsh Government's website, a decrease of 15 per cent. He added that the Celtic freeport was downgraded by 31per cent from a promise of 16,000 jobs to nearer 11,000 today. "All we've seen from the Celtic freeport so far are strategies, frameworks and meetings: no clear delivery, no major employment, no visible change," he said. Rebecca Evans, Wales' economy secretary, told Senedd members it remains early days with "an awful lot" of work going on behind the scenes and the freeports only open for business for a matter of months. Samuel Kurtz, the Conservatives' shadow secretary, welcomed the Celtic and Anglesey freeports but raised concerns about sites in England such as Teesside being further along. He also hailed "significant" progress at Wales' two investment zones – based on advanced manufacturing in Wrexham and Flintshire, and semiconductors in Newport and Cardiff. In her statement, Ms Evans said the Welsh Government has agreed full business cases for both freeports and the final agreement with UK ministers was close to completion.
