The Leader of the Welsh Conservatives has challenged Plaid Cymru over its flawed priorities set out in its Supplementary Budget.
Darren Millar MS accused the Plaid Cymru First Minister of taking ‘the same failed sticking plaster approach’ to public services of the rejected Labour Welsh Government by failing to take on the challenges Wales faces.
Darren Millar hit out at Plaid’s support for successive Labour budgets, which led to a position where Wales has the longest waiting lists in Britain, poor ambulance response times and a backlog of repairs to the NHS estate.
The Welsh Conservative Leader also criticised the budget for not making even a penny of additional spending available for businesses or agriculture and for failing to pass on additional funding received as a consequential for money spent on pupils with Additional Learning Needs in England.
Darren Millar MS, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said:
"Plaid Cymru can’t disown their record. They supported four of the last five Labour budgets, which got the NHS into this mess in the first place, with crumbling hospitals, poor ambulance performance and the longest waiting lists in Britain.
“This budget fails to face up to the challenges Wales faces. Not a penny for businesses to help them cope with the excessive burden of business rates and National Insurance contributions imposed by Labour. Not a penny for farmers, who are facing unnecessary red tape and Labour and Plaid’s ‘unsustainable’ farming scheme.
“It’s also disappointing that money intended for pupils with Additional Learning Needs is not being passed on to schools in Wales. Why should they be any less of a priority than their peers in England?
“This budget has the wrong priorities and is taking the same failed sticking plaster approach of the last Labour government. It’s time for Plaid to focus on the priorities of the people of Wales.”
