Welsh government mini-budget passes four months after first defeat, following Plaid-Labour deal

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 in October, an extra £60m will be spent on supporting children with additional learning needs (ALN). Labour, now in opposition after heavy election losses, had rejected a £40m package spread over three years in July, with party leader Ken Skates demanding £100m in the current financial year instead. By voting for the spending plans on Tuesday evening, Labour gave the minority Plaid Cymru government the numbers it needed. The budget motion was approved with 54 votes in support and 39 against. The 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. Finance Minister Elin Jones opened the debate by recognising what she described as constructive discussions with the Labour group in recent weeks. On the additional learning needs funding, 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." The deal followed months of political manoeuvring on both sides. Former Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford previously said his party had made mistakes in its summer negotiations with Plaid Cymru and suggested there was a case for accepting the money previously on offer. First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth, for his part, agreed that his government had learned lessons from its failure to strike a deal in July. Labour's finance spokesperson, Huw Thomas, said the process of agreeing a supplementary budget had been more difficult than it should have been, but argued that Plaid Cymru appeared to have learned lessons and that Labour had secured 50% more for additional learning needs than the government had put on the table in the summer. Calling for the money to be released promptly, he said: "Schools cannot afford lengthy delays and bureaucratic obstacles." The agreement drew criticism from other parties. Reform's finance spokesperson, Cai Parry Jones, criticised Labour for backing the budget despite a dispute between the NAHT teaching union and the government, asking "who is really pulling the strings in Welsh Labour" and suggesting Mark Drakeford's views may have been influential behind the scenes. He also called for foreign spending to be cut back. Welsh Conservative Peter Fox confirmed his party would vote against the motion, saying: "We were told a Plaid Cymru government would be different. The budget just seems to be business as usual wrapped in different colours."