First Minister to meet Welsh Conservatives on possible budget deal
The Welsh Labour Government is short of a majority in the Senedd and will require additional votes to pass its budget
First Minister Eluned Morgan MS will meet today Tuesday 21st October with Welsh Conservative Leader Darren Millar MS for an initial discussion on next year’s Welsh Government budget.
The Welsh Labour Government is short of a majority in the Senedd and will require additional votes to pass its budget.
Darren Millar MS had written to the First Minister to express that while he “cannot support a ‘more of the same’ approach to the Welsh Government's spending plans”, that a budget agreement “may be possible” if the Welsh Government considers “some of our key Welsh Conservative priorities, such as the scrapping of Welsh Stamp Duty (Land Transaction Tax) for all primary residential properties”.
Commenting, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar MS said:
“I look forward to a constructive meeting with the First Minister to discuss next year’s budget and our Welsh Conservative priorities for Wales.
“It is essential that the Welsh Government' s budget gets our economy moving and reflects the priorities of the people of Wales, not the priorities of politicians in Cardiff Bay.
“A key part of our plan to fix Wales includes cutting taxes, including Stamp Duty. This will form part of the discussions which will now take place.”
If the budget does not pass by the start of the financial year in April the government is only allowed to spend 75% of the previous budget.
The 2026/27 draft budget sets out spending plans worth more than £27 billion for public services.
Addressing the Welsh Parliament last week, Mark Drakeford, the Finance Cabinet Secretary said: "The failure to pass a budget is genuinely catastrophic, catastrophic to the reputation of the Senedd, undermining to the reputation of devolution.
"But most importantly of all, catastrophic in the lives of those thousands of people who will be left without a service, without a job, without a prospect that we can hold out in front of them of things continuing to improve in the future."
The Liberal Democrat MS, Jane Dodds, has also said she's open to speaking with Mr Drakeford.
"My door is firmly open"
Mr Drakeford added: "My door is firmly open to working with other political parties in the Senedd who share my belief that a more ambitious budget can be reached and that we have a collective responsibility to pass the Welsh budget."