At First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) today, the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives challenged Labour's First Minister to rule out increasing income tax for the duration of the next Senedd term. Baroness Morgan declined to do so.
Plaid Cymru has long argued for higher taxes, proposing ‘parity’ with the higher tax regime present in Scotland, and have previously called for increases in the basic rate of income tax that people in Wales pay by 1p, the higher rate of tax by 2p, and the additional rate of tax by 3p.
Labour and Plaid recently agreed another budget deal for the next financial year and neither party has ruled out working together again as part of a post-election agreement after the elections in May.
Darren Millar reiterated Welsh Conservative calls for a cut to the basic rate of income tax, worth £450 to the average working family and accused the First Minister of aiming to “please Plaid and help pave the road to a disastrous break-up of the United Kingdom” by refusing to rule out an income tax rise.
Commenting, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar MS said:
“Labour must break from their constant appeasement of Plaid Cymru’s separatist agenda and rule out tax rises for the people of Wales.
“Labour’s budget stitch-up with Plaid means that Welsh people and businesses will continue to face higher taxes and greater costs than over the border in England.
“Only the Welsh Conservatives have a costed, credible plan to support families and cut income tax to put more money into the pockets of hardworking people.
“We believe that people know how best to spend their hard-earned money, not the Welsh Government.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The full FMQs exchange will be published here in due course.
- Plaid Cymru has called for income tax rises as recently as 2023.
