Welsh nationalists are meeting Bank of England Governor Mark Carney today to call for representation for the principality on the rate-setting monetary policy committee.
Leanne Wood, the leader of Plaid Cymru, is calling for a “stronger Welsh voice” within the bank including giving the Welsh Assembly the power to nominate a member of the MPC.
She is also set to express her concerns over the UK’s dependence on the financial services sector and how that is increasing the wealth gap between England and Wales.
The Bank confirmed that the meeting is taking place but said it could not disclose details of the Governor’s private meeting schedule.
A spokesman said: “The Governor and other Bank senior management do meet from time to time with government ministers and their opposition counterparts in all parts of the United Kingdom to discuss matters of mutual interest with respect to economic and financial stability.”
External members of the MPC are appointed by the Treasury. Wood is also meeting the Icelandic ambassador “to learn from the experiences of Iceland in recovering from a deep financial crisis”.
