The Senedd has passed the Welsh government's mini-budget nearly four months after the original version was defeated, after Labour voted for the spending plans following a deal with Plaid Cymru. Under the agreement, announced last month, an extra £60m will go to supporting children with additional learning needs (ALN). By backing the extra spending on Tuesday evening, Labour gave the minority Plaid government the numbers it needed.
Labour had rejected a £40m package spread over three years in July, with leader Ken Skates demanding £100m this financial year instead. Plaid Cymru's original mini-budget also included £100m for the NHS to bring down waiting times, £55m for childcare and £40m for school repairs, spending that can now go ahead.
The vote followed a summer in which Labour, now in opposition after heavy election losses, and Plaid failed to agree on ALN spending. Former Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford previously said his party had made mistakes in its summer negotiations with Plaid and suggested there was a case for accepting the money the government had already offered. The first minister agreed his government had learned lessons from its failure to reach a deal in July.
Opening the debate, Finance Minister Elin Jones recognised "the constructive discussions that have taken place in recent weeks with the Labour group". On ALN, she said: "While there have been differing views on how best to respond there has been a broad recognition that these pressures are real and require action. That shared understanding has enabled agreement to be reached."
Labour's finance spokesperson Huw Thomas said the process of agreeing a supplementary budget had been more difficult than it should have been, but that Plaid seemed to have learned "lessons", and that Labour had secured 50% more on ALN than Plaid Cymru had put on the table in the summer. Calling for the money to be made available as soon as possible, he said: "Schools cannot afford lengthy delays and bureaucratic obstacles."
Reform's finance spokesperson, Cai Parry Jones, criticised Labour for "somehow backing this budget" despite the NAHT teaching union being in dispute with the government. He said of Ken Skates, "Ken, who is really pulling the strings in Welsh Labour," suggesting Mark Drakeford's views on the budget may have been influential behind the scenes. He called for foreign spending to be cut back.
Welsh Conservative Peter Fox, confirming his party would vote against the budget, said: "We were told a Plaid Cymru government would be different. The budget just seems to be business as usual wrapped in different colours."
The budget motion was passed with 54 votes in support and 39 against.
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Spending allocated in Plaid Cymru's original mini-budget
£ million
Spending that can now go ahead after the budget passed. Source: BBC Wales
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Analysis
Why This Matters
The vote ends a four-month standoff and releases £100m for NHS waiting times, £55m for childcare and £40m for school repairs alongside the £60m ALN settlement.
It shows how a minority Plaid government can govern with Labour support from opposition, a template that may shape future budget votes in the Senedd.
Schools and families waiting on ALN support now depend on how quickly the money reaches them, a point Labour pressed in the debate.
Background
Wales has a devolved parliament, the Senedd, which sets its own budget and is responsible for areas including health, education and childcare. The Welsh government is currently led by Plaid Cymru as a minority administration, with Labour in opposition after election losses. The original mini-budget, a supplementary spending plan, was defeated earlier in the year when the two parties could not agree on support for children with additional learning needs. The revised version passed on Tuesday evening.
Key Perspectives
Elin Jones, Finance Minister: said there had been differing views on how best to respond to ALN pressures but broad recognition that they are real and require action, and that this shared understanding enabled agreement.
Huw Thomas, Labour finance spokesperson: said the process had been more difficult than it should have been, that Labour secured 50% more on ALN than was offered in the summer, and that schools cannot afford lengthy delays and bureaucratic obstacles.
Cai Parry Jones, Reform finance spokesperson: criticised Labour for backing the budget while the NAHT teaching union is in dispute with the government, and called for foreign spending to be cut back.
Peter Fox, Welsh Conservative: said a Plaid Cymru government was supposed to be different but the budget seemed to be business as usual wrapped in different colours, and confirmed his party voted against.
Mark Drakeford, former Welsh Labour leader: previously said his party had made mistakes in its summer negotiations and suggested there was a case for accepting the money offered.
What to Watch
When the additional £60m for additional learning needs is actually made available to schools, after Labour's call for no lengthy delays.
How the dispute between the NAHT teaching union and the Welsh government develops, which Reform used as grounds to attack the budget.
Whether the cooperation between Plaid ministers and Labour holds for the next budget round, given the difficulty both sides described in reaching this deal.
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
SupportedThe Welsh mini-budget passed after Plaid and Labour reached a deal on additional learning needs.BBC Wales: “The Senedd has passed the Welsh government's mini-budget, nearly four months after the original version was defeated , following a deal between Plaid Cymru ministers and Labour. Under the agreement, announced last month, an extra £60m will be spent on supporting children with additional learning needs (ALN).”
SupportedThe Senedd backed the plans 54 votes to 39, nearly four months after the original budget was defeated.BBC Wales: “The budget motion was passed in the Senedd with 54 votes in support and 39 against.”
SupportedElin Jones said: “While there have been differing views on how best to respond there has been a broad recognition that these pressures are real and require action. That shared understanding has enabled agreement to be reached.”BBC Wales: “On ALN, she said: "While there have been differing views on how best to respond there has been a broad recognition that these pressures are real and require action. That shared understanding has enabled agreement to be reached."”
SupportedElin Jones recognised “the constructive discussions that have taken place in recent weeks with the Labour group”.BBC Wales: “Finance Minister Elin Jones began the debate "by recognising the constructive discussions that have taken place in recent weeks with the Labour group".”
SupportedHuw Thomas said: “Schools cannot afford lengthy delays and bureaucratic obstacles.”BBC Wales: “Calling for the money to be made available as soon as possible, he said: "Schools cannot afford lengthy delays and bureaucratic obstacles."”
SupportedCai Parry Jones criticised Labour for “somehow backing this budget”.BBC Wales: “Reform's finance spokesperson, Cai Parry Jones, criticised Labour for "somehow backing this budget" despite the NAHT teaching union being in dispute with the government.”
SupportedCai Parry Jones said of Ken Skates: “Ken, who is really pulling the strings in Welsh Labour,”BBC Wales: “"Ken, who is really pulling the strings in Welsh Labour," he said, suggesting Mark Drakeford's views on the budget may have been influential behind the scenes.”
SupportedPeter Fox said: “We were told a Plaid Cymru government would be different.”BBC Wales: “"We were told a Plaid Cymru government would be different," said Welsh Conservative Peter Fox, confirming his party would vote against the budget.”
SupportedPeter Fox said: “The budget just seems to be business as usual wrapped in different colours.”BBC Wales: “"The budget just seems to be business as usual wrapped in different colours."”
SupportedThe agreement provides an extra £60m to support children with additional learning needs.BBC Wales: “Under the agreement, announced last month, an extra £60m will be spent on supporting children with additional learning needs (ALN).”
SupportedLabour had rejected a £40m package spread over three years in July.BBC Wales: “Labour, now in opposition after heavy election losses , had rejected a £40m package spread over three years in July, with leader Ken Skates demanding £100m this financial year instead.”
SupportedKen Skates demanded £100m for this financial year instead.BBC Wales: “Labour, now in opposition after heavy election losses , had rejected a £40m package spread over three years in July, with leader Ken Skates demanding £100m this financial year instead.”