The Seventh Senedd has mainly debated the first supplementary budget for 2026-27, including whether UK funding for additional learning needs (ALN) should be passed on in full. Members have also argued over fair funding, the Barnett formula and fiscal flexibilities, council tax caps and referendums, and costings for Plaid Cymru's pledges. A Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour deal was announced in October.
The main arguments
Finance Minister Elin Jones (Plaid Cymru) said the Government inherited a challenging position, honoured the January budget and kept £246.5 million of resource unallocated. Cai Parry-Jones (Reform UK) said Plaid shares responsibility. Huw Thomas (Welsh Labour) said the budget left headroom. Contributions: [1][2]
Lynne Neagle, Ken Skates and Huw Thomas (Welsh Labour) and Claire Johnson-Wood (Reform UK) wanted ALN consequentials spent on ALN. Elin Jones said Welsh Ministers decide how to spend them, and that one-off funding does not strengthen the service. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
On fair funding, First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) sought Barnett reform and wider borrowing and reserve powers. Cai Parry-Jones (Reform UK) cited IFS estimates that needs-based funding could cost Wales £1.5 billion. Darren Millar (Welsh Conservatives) said Barnett is out of date but warned of risk. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Huw Thomas (Welsh Labour) said Wales gains from the UK and urged Plaid to engage the Scottish Government. Alun Cox (Plaid Cymru) said Wales's funding rules are separate from Scotland's. Mike Hedges (Welsh Labour) backed reserve and borrowing freedoms. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
On council tax, Cai Parry-Jones (Reform UK) proposed local referendums above 4.99 per cent. Sarah Cooper-Lesadd (Plaid Cymru) said referendums are unworkable. Darren Millar and Janet Finch-Saunders (Welsh Conservatives) also called for a cap or referendums. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Dan Thomas (Reform UK) and Lynne Neagle (Welsh Labour) asked for full costings of Plaid Cymru's childcare pledge. Jane Dodds (Welsh Liberal Democrats) welcomed a commitment to bring initial costings and phasing to the Senedd before the summer recess. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Where the parties stand
Plaid CymruShifted
Plaid Cymru Members said they honoured the inherited budget while starting new priorities, and sought a fairer funding settlement, Barnett reform and more fiscal flexibility. They opposed council tax referendums, citing practical problems. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
How this has shifted: On ALN, Plaid offered no new money at first, then £40 million this year in July, then a £60 million deal with Welsh Labour in October.
Welsh LabourShifted
Welsh Labour Members pressed for ALN funding and for costings of Plaid's promises. They said Wales benefits from the UK and backed needs-based funding, wider borrowing powers and permanent reserve flexibilities. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
How this has shifted: Labour said in July it would vote against the supplementary budget, then in October welcomed a deal securing £60 million for ALN.
Reform UK
Reform UK Members criticised Plaid's costings, the use of capital reserves and the fair funding motion, and called for council tax referendums above 4.99 per cent. They said Plaid shares responsibility for the budget it inherited. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Welsh Conservatives
Welsh Conservatives Members pressed on business rates, land transaction tax, NHS waiting lists and a council tax cap. They said Barnett is outdated and opposed the supplementary budget because it left the previous budget unchanged. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Welsh Liberal Democrats
Jane Dodds said tax cuts would threaten public services, welcomed the £1 bus fare and child poverty measures, and argued Wales needs wider borrowing powers. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Wales Green Party
Anthony Slaughter backed the motion for improved fiscal arrangements and more borrowing powers. He said rejecting the ALN allocation in the supplementary budget would play politics with school funding. Contributions: [1][2]
What the government is being pressed on
1Will the English SEND consequentials go to ALN? Lynne Neagle and Ken Skates (Welsh Labour) pressed. Elin Jones said Wales has no equivalent debt, the money is for Welsh Ministers to allocate, and she preferred sustainable funding. A £60 million deal followed in October. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
2Why hold £246.5 million unallocated, and why use capital reserves? Sam Rowlands and Cai Parry-Jones asked. Elin Jones said health pressures exceed £300 million and she disputed the reserve figures. The Finance Committee noted the sum is about four times the recent average. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
3Where are the full costings for Plaid's childcare pledge, and what will be cut? Dan Thomas, Lynne Neagle and Huw Thomas asked. Ministers promised initial costings and phasing before the summer recess and announced £55 million for childcare. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
4Will there be a council tax cap, referendum or revaluation protection? Darren Millar, Sam Rowlands and Cai Parry-Jones asked. Elin Jones replied that the average 2026-27 rise was 4.8 per cent, the lowest since 2022. No cap was announced. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
5What reforms is Wales seeking from the Treasury? Iain McIntosh and Mike Hedges asked. Elin Jones said she raised fair funding with the Chief Secretary, wants an independent dispute process and aims to improve Barnett, exploring needs-based funding over time. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
What the public is asking for
A petition asking for the full ALN consequential funding to be allocated reached 11,451 signatures and is closed. A petition to backdate council tax discounts for dementia to GP certification has 36 signatures and is open.
Who ministers are meeting
The published meetings are all with UK Treasury figures: the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, including a bilateral with the Cabinet Minister for Finance. There are five in total.
In the Sixth Senedd (2021 to 2026)
From the previous Senedd's record, for issues that run across both. The rest of this analysis covers the Seventh Senedd only.
In the Sixth Senedd, finance debates centred on tight Welsh budgets, with ministers describing the toughest settlement since devolution. Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives argued over Barnett reform and HS2 consequentials. Members across parties also criticised limits on reserves and borrowing.
Rebecca Evans (Welsh Labour) said the 2024-25 draft budget came in the toughest situation since devolution and gave £450 million more to the NHS. Adam Price (Plaid Cymru) described hyperausterity. Contributions: [1][2][3]
In March 2024 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) called for the Barnett formula to be eradicated. Peter Fox (Welsh Conservatives) pointed to record block grant funding. Mike Hedges (Welsh Labour) described its temporary origins. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Mike Hedges and Rhys ab Owen said councils can move money into and out of reserves, but the Welsh Government cannot. Rebecca Evans described rigid limits on carry-forward and drawdown. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Rhys ab Owen reported that the Welsh Government had no intention of introducing council tax referendums. Structural council tax reform was not planned until 2028. Contributions: [1][2]
Written by AI on 23 October 2026 from 232 contributions in the Senedd between 19 May 2026 and 19 October 2026, with the petitions and ministers' meetings on this brief. Each point links to the contributions it draws on; check them before quoting. How the analysis is written.
Where things stand
Statistics published by the Welsh Government. Each chart covers the years since the 2016 Senedd election, or as far back as the figures go, and marks each election since.
Average Band D council tax
£2,283
2026-27
A year earlier
£2,170(2025-26)
The average yearly council tax for a Band D home in Wales, including the parts for the council, the police and any community council, by financial year.
Band D is the band used to compare council tax between areas and years. Each year's figure is set before the year starts in April, and isn't adjusted for inflation.
8 commitments in the Welsh Government's Programme for Government 2026 to 2030 fall under this brief, in the Programme's own words. Under each is how often it has been raised in the Seventh Senedd.
Use our devolved tax levers to support essential public services, and design our taxes to support our goals, including helping home buying, and reducing waste in landfill.
Raised in 19 speeches. Most recently on 14 October 2026, by Elin Jones. Matched on: “land transaction tax”.
Pursue fiscal reform, including fairness in the way Wales is funded, the operation of the Barnett Formula, greater fiscal flexibilities, fair funding of devolved powers, and further responsibilities for the Senedd over taxes in Wales.
Raised in 112 speeches, 2 agenda items and 1 written question. Most recently on 21 October 2026, by James Evans. Matched on: “fiscal framework”.
Fight for the rail funding we are owed and that we need to invest in Welsh rail – including consequential funding from HS2 – and for rail to be devolved.
Raised in 59 speeches, 1 agenda item, 1 written question and 1 petition. Most recently on 20 October 2026, by Rhun ap Iorwerth. Matched on: “rail funding”.
Deliver a national programme to secure and restore disused tips, ensuring every tip is properly monitored, maintained, and managed. We will continue to insist that the UK government funds this work properly and in full.
Raised in 25 speeches. Most recently on 21 October 2026, by James Evans. Matched on: “coal tip”.
Establish a Wales‑wide strategy on remediating contaminated land to map, prioritise and progressively restore post‑industrial land so communities are no longer exposed to derelict sites, toxic soils, and polluted waterways. We will continue to press the UK government to fund this restoration.
Source: Welsh Government, Programme for government 2026 to 2030: New ambition for Wales, first published on 10 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Mentions are found by matching the names of plans, bodies and schemes; a mention says nothing about progress.
From the Welsh Government
The Welsh Government's latest press releases and Cabinet statements on this brief.
Welsh Government and Welsh Labour reach agreement on further investment for Additional Learning Needs, enabling the Supplementary Budget for 2026-2027 to proceed.
Key moments in the Senedd
Statements, debates and legislation in Plenary on this brief, newest first. Oral question sessions are counted in the contributions below.
Each bar is the share of that party's speeches and questions in the Seventh Senedd that touched this brief, so large and small parties can be compared. The upright line marks the chamber as a whole: 4.4%.
37% of Welsh adults said levels of taxation would be very important to their vote.
Ipsos asked 747 Welsh adults aged 16+ between 2 April 2026 and 8 April 2026, before the 2026 Senedd election. People could choose as many issues as they liked. More on public opinion.
Written questions
1 written question to the Welsh Government on this brief in the Seventh Senedd. The latest:
The Seventh Senedd will see the devolution of new taxes to Wales, and a push for new income tax powers to give the Welsh Government greater control over how funding is raised for the Welsh Budget.
On 20 January the Welsh Government laid its Final Budget 2026-27. 7% originally proposed in November. In this article we consider the funding across local authorities, which will be debated alongside the Final Budget on Tuesday 27 January.
In his book, ‘The Age of Diminished Expectations’, the Nobel prize winning economist, Paul Krugman said: Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything.
Tagged for: “supplementary budget”, “Welsh budget”Translated from WelshOfficial Record
Month by month
0
134
69
32
207
May 2026JunJulAugSeptOct
Contributions tagged in each month of the Seventh Senedd. No sittings were held in August 2026.Show the numbers
Month
Contributions
May 2026
0
June 2026
134
July 2026
69
August 2026
No sittings
September 2026
32
October 2026
207
How this brief is put together
This brief follows the Programme commitments listed above and tags the record with the phrases below. Keyword matching can miss business that discusses the issue in other words, and can tag a passing mention.
Show the phrases it uses
A contribution is tagged when its English text contains one of these phrases. Capital letters don't matter, except in abbreviations, which must match exactly. It is also tagged when the title of the agenda item or question it was part of contains one, as long as the contribution is at least 30 words long. The brief is also tagged whenever one of its themes is.
