Cameron on rail delays, tax referendums and the future

A pinch of salt: David Camerons samples some Welsh produce at the Royal Welsh Show

David Cameron has visited Wales, attending the Royal Welsh Show for the second successive year. My colleague Nick Servini took the chance to catch up with the prime minister's thinking on current issues.

Does he still think there needs to be a referendum before the Welsh government gets some control of income tax rates. With the Welsh government in no hurry to hold a vote, and increasing devolution to regions of England without a referendum, would he take the chance to please the likes of the Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies by dropping the requirement?

I've transcribed some of his answers that might be of interest the next time the issue flares up.

He told Nick: "We haven't changed our commitments, but what I'd say is, I think what matters is for people in Wales is the outcome and the outcome I think we all now want to see is a funding floor for Wales to give Wales that guarantee about its future level of funding and I think that's right to be accompanied by devolution of income tax so you can have the varying of tax rates here in Wales because I want a responsible assembly.

"An assembly, or a Welsh parliament if you want to call it, that has the responsibility to both raise and spend money. I think that would enhance politics here in Wales. I think it'll make our politicians think more about the economic impact of the decisions that they make so let's try and get to that outcome but no, I haven't changed any of our commitments."

So the referendum requirement stays?

"We haven't changed our commitments, but let's focus on what the picture would look like at the end: a strong Welsh assembly with those law-making powers, with the ability to change tax rates with a guarantee of a fair-funding formula. I think that would be good for Wales, delivered by a Conservative prime minister, that's the goal I want to achieve."

Nick also asked him about plans to electrify the railway from London to Swansea. Would it be delivered - and on time?

"We are committed to extending the electrification all the way out to Swansea: that will happen. There'll have to be a report in the autumn about the effect of the cost over-runs and the engineering challenges that have come to light but the commitment is the same: this will go all the way to Swansea."

So electrification will go all the way but the prime minister again resisted the temptation to say the project will be completed by the original deadline of May 2018.

You can watch the interview here.