The Welsh Government’s supplementary budget has been defeated in the Senedd after failing to secure enough support from Members of the Senedd. The vote followed discussions between the Welsh Government and opposition parties over the spending plans, including funding for Additional Learning Needs (ALN), education and other public services.
The £300m supplementary budget included additional funding aimed at reducing NHS waiting times and expanding childcare provision. However, Janet Finch-Saunders MS raised concerns about the priorities within the budget, including the lack of further measures to support economic growth, small businesses, farming and the wider pressures facing public services.
Janet Finch-Saunders, Senedd Member for Bangor Conwy Môn said:
“The people of Wales voted for change, but this supplementary budget offered more of the same. There was nothing here to give confidence to our small businesses, nothing to drive economic growth, nothing to reduce the tax burden, and once again our farming communities have been overlooked.
At the same time, we continue to see children with Additional Learning Needs, their families and schools crying out for greater support. This budget failed to address those concerns in any meaningful way.
Plaid Cymru spent years criticising Welsh Labour’s approach, yet this budget looked remarkably familiar. Wales deserves a government with clear priorities that backs business, supports our rural communities, invests properly in education and creates the conditions for long-term prosperity. Unfortunately, this budget simply missed the mark.”
