Drakeford: Back budget or face £7bn cuts to Welsh services

Finance secretary Mark Drakeford has issued a stark warning to opposition parties: back the Welsh Government’s £27bn draft budget or face devastating cuts of up to £7bn and thousands of job losses 💼⚠️

Labour needs support from at least one opposition Senedd member to pass its 2026/27 budget, with £380m now on the table to find “common priorities” with other parties.

Prof Drakeford told the Senedd: “The weeks ahead must culminate in the passing of a budget… every member here will have a part to play, every political party a responsibility.”

He warned that failure would be catastrophic: “Instead of me coming forward with a budget that adds £800m into our public services, I would be coming forward with a budget that cuts everything this Senedd does by between £6bn and £7bn.”

The Conservatives have suggested their support would depend on scrapping land transaction tax for primary homes, whilst Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan warned of council tax increases of up to 20% if the budget passes as drafted.

First Minister Eluned Morgan welcomed Tory leader Darren Millar’s offer of talks, saying: “I am very pleased that you’ve written to me today – this demonstrates grown up politics…. our door is open.”

Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds, who struck a deal worth around £100m for last year’s budget, said: “I am prepared and willing to work with any party to find a constructive way forward with this budget as I did last year. We need to be ambitious.”

The Caerphilly by-election result on 23rd October could prove crucial in determining the numbers needed to pass the budget.