Today, the Welsh Conservative Party became the first party to launch its manifesto ahead of the Senedd election on 7 May, setting out a bold plan to cut taxes, grow the economy and fix Wales’ public services.
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar, unveiled the ‘Fix Wales’ manifesto in Cardiff, describing it as a “rescue mission” for a country he said “crying out for a positive change”
The manifesto pledges to:
- A 1p cut in the basic rate of income tax to save the average working family £450 per year
- Caps on council tax increases and a requirement for referendums on hikes of over 5%
- Scrapping Welsh Stamp Duty on main homes and restoring the Right to Buy to boost home ownership
- Re-establishing a Welsh Development Agency to attract inward investment, promote business growth and create jobs
- Backing nuclear power to support UK energy security, and implement a moratorium on large scale wind and solar farms
- Delivering an M4 relief road, upgrades on the A55, and the dualling of the A40 to Fishguard in West Wales
- Piloting an effective 5% rate of VAT on tourism accommodation businesses
- Introducing a £1,000 tuition fee discount for students studying STEM subjects
- Refunding University tuition fees for nursing, medicine, teaching and dentistry students who study in Wales and go on to work for at least five years in the Welsh NHS or Welsh schools
- An ambitious target to deliver 125,000 apprenticeships over the next Senedd term to meet the skills Wales needs to drive economic growth
- Boosting the farming budget by £100m
- No more powers for the Senedd, and no more spending on non-devolved matters
- And reversing the increase in the number of Members of the Senedd
The party says its income tax cut would be funded through efficiency savings across the Welsh Government’s budget, ensuring families are better off while protecting frontline services.
Janet Finch-Saunders, Senedd Member for Aberconwy said:
"After years of higher taxes, longer NHS waiting lists and stalled infrastructure projects, people, across Wales are demanding change.
Our ‘Fix Wales’ manifesto sets out a credible plan to put more money back into the pockets of hardworking families, back our businesses, and deliver the infrastructure our country desperately needs.
A Welsh Conservative Government would focus on priorities, growing the economy, supporting home ownership, improving public services and restoring common sense.”
