Parties disagree over Welsh Government budget

A £26bn funding package from the Welsh Labour Government has been backed by Clwyd South Senedd Member Ken Skates.  

He voted for the Welsh Government budget this week and says it will lead to ‘a brighter future’ for Wrexham and Wales.

Mr Skates said: “The 2025-26 Welsh Budget has the top priorities of the people of our area at its heart and includes additional funding for our schools and hospitals, investment in more and better homes and extra support for jobs and economic growth.”

In total, an additional £1.5bn will be spent on public services in the next financial year – including an extra £600m for the Welsh NHS.

Another £15m is being invested in a pilot scheme which will mean young people aged 21 and under will only pay £1 for a single bus fare in Wales.

Mr Skates added: “Thanks to the hard work of the Welsh Labour Government, in partnership with the UK Labour Government, the £1.5bn of extra funding which has been secured is being carefully targeted to make sure it makes a real difference to people’s lives. 

“An additional £600m for health and social care means more appointments, better medical equipment and more investment in crucial new technology.

‘With over £400m allocated to tackle housing pressures, there will be more support to get first time buyers onto the property ladder, and money to make existing homes greener and more sustainable.

“After 14 years of UK Tory under-funding, this Budget is a hopeful one. With it, we can start to undo some of the damage of the past and focus on delivering the brighter future Wales deserves.”

But Sam Rowlands, Conservative Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, says Labour is continuing to fail Wales.

Speaking in the budget debate in the Senedd, Mr Rowlands, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance said: “Let's see what the results of the last 26 years of Labour budgets look like: Wales by far has the longest NHS waiting lists in the United Kingdom and the worst educational outcomes, stunting the futures of our children and young people, despite the Welsh Government receiving £1.20 in funding for every £1 spent on these services in England.

“We were desperate to see a budget that sought to fix Wales instead of ploughing on with the same old failed orthodoxy.  Instead of tackling the big issues, they've increased the bureaucracy budget by a third in two years.

“They want to channel funding towards 36 more politicians in this place, and rather than putting forward and funding a Welsh winter fuel allowance, which they argue is outside of their remit, they spend millions and millions of pounds on international relations, which have nothing to do with the Welsh Government's remit.

“We will stand up for Welsh pensioners by backing the implementation of a fully costed Welsh winter fuel allowance, which was slashed by the UK Labour Government, meaning 400,000 Welsh pensioner households will be going without the allowance thanks to London Labour."