[The Weeping Angel]

Inflation is down.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yg04jg1n5o

UK inflation fell to 3% in January, down from 3.4% in December, driven by food, fuel and airfares.

Economists said the decrease raised the likelihood the Bank of England will cut interest rates at its March monetary policy meeting.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the "marked" fall in January took inflation to its lowest rate since March 2025.

Although the rate of inflation has fallen, prices themselves are not coming down, but simply rising at a slower pace.

ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said: "Inflation fell markedly in January to its lowest annual rate since March last year, driven partly by a decrease in petrol prices.

"Airfares were another downward driver this month with prices dropping back following the increase in December."

But he added that lower costs for bread, cereals and meat were partially offset by the cost of hotel stays and takeaways.

Wednesday's fall in inflation, coming after figures showed a slowdown in wage growth, makes it more likely the Bank of England will cut its key interest rate - currently set at 3.75%.

Economists are expecting inflation to fall further in the coming months, with the government cutting household energy bills from April. Forecasters Cornwall Insight predicted the measure would help lower the energy price cap for a typical household by £117 to £1,641 from April.

KPMG chief economist Yael Selfin said: "Given the favourable inflation outlook, the Bank is expected to cut interest rates three times this year, leaving interest rates at 3% by the end of 2026."

[The Weeping Angel]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80jyx2xljno

The prime minister has committed the UK government to a £14bn plan to "transform" Wales' railways.

Sir Keir Starmer has backed Transport for Wales (TFW) proposals for 43 schemes, saying it would put the country "on the front foot".

While cash is confirmed for seven train stations at Magor and Undy, Llanwern, Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Cardiff Parkway and Deeside, specific funding is yet to be announced for other projects.

A Welsh government source told the BBC it was "the biggest day in devolution", but opponents accused the Labour UK government of "reheating" old announcements.

Timescales have not been confirmed, but First Minister Eluned Morgan said the 43 projects promised would take about 15 years to roll out.

The UK government had already announced £445m for rail projects in Wales at last June's spending review, and has now explained that money will go towards building each of the seven stations, alongside upgrades in south and north Wales.

It has also backed a much longer list of schemes, which will need extra money to be allocated over the coming years.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Sounds like a fair bit of this should be before 2029 as well, although the full time scale is 15 years. That doesn't mean that it'll all happen, but it's harder to get out of it after announcements like this. Though don't ask Tracy Brabin about it.

All the parties are give pretty cynical responses. Nobody in the UK or Welsh Governments have said this is all new.

Usual distinguished efforts here.

Mims Davies, Tory shadow Welsh secretary, said: "This is a desperate visit to the last chance saloon by the deeply unpopular UK Labour government, ahead of the Senedd election where it is on course to lose power in Cardiff Bay after almost three decades.

"As always, today's announcement raises more pressing questions than it answers--the devil is in the lack of detail."

A political jibe with a bit of meaningless waffle added. There's a link in this very article to the "detail" (or lack of detail, as clever old Miriam calls it.

And this old one.

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick also accused the government of "reheating" old announcements ahead of the Senedd election.
"There is still no commitment to electrifying the north Wales or south Wales mainlines, something businesses consistently tell us is essential to unlocking real economic growth across the whole country."

Ignore everything in it, just say that something else isn't in it, job done. Electrification isn't particularly key to unlocking growth anyway. It can help you fit in extra trains on a busy route, but is Crewe-Holyhead that busy?