In the Senedd today, Labour and Plaid Cymru Senedd Members voted against a Welsh Conservative Senedd motion outlining our plan to fix Wales’s economy, by creating more jobs and boosting growth.
This includes delivering an income tax cut, scrapping business rates for small businesses, and axing the tourism tax before it comes into force.
The latest Labour Market Overview, published by the Office for National Statistics, has shown that Wales’s unemployment rate and economic inactivity rate has increased, whist our employment rate has decreased.
In fact, Wales has the lowest employment rate in the United Kingdom, and the highest economic inactivity rate in Great Britain.
After 26 years of Welsh Labour Governments, propped up by Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems, our Welsh economy is broken, and it’s families across Wales who are paying the price.
Commenting after debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Energy, Samuel Kurtz MS, said:
“It’s clear after today’s Senedd vote that only the Welsh Conservatives are putting forward a positive plan to fix our economy.
“Under Labour, enabled by Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems, the Welsh economy is broken.
“On the ballot next May will be our plan to open Wales for business, scrap business rates for small firms, deliver an income tax cut and ensure the whole of Wales receives investment.”
The motion which was debated today read:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Notes the Labour Market Overview published by the Office for National Statistics on 16 September 2025.
2. Regrets that under the Welsh Government:
a) Wales’s unemployment rate has increased;
b) Wales’s employment rate has decreased and is the lowest in the United Kingdom;
c) Wales’s economic inactivity rate has increased and is the highest in Great Britain; and
d) Welsh wage packets are the lowest in the United Kingdom.
3. Calls on the Welsh Government to create more jobs in Wales and boost growth by:
a) cutting the basic rate of income tax by 1 pence;
b) scrapping business rates for small businesses;
c) axing the tourism tax before it comes into force;
d) levelling-up the whole of Wales with adequate levels of investment for all parts of the country;
e) calling on the UK Government to drop the increase in Employer's National Insurance Contributions and to reverse inheritance tax changes which are adversely impacting Welsh family firms and family farms; and
f) scrapping the default 20mph speed limit to get Wales moving.
