No deal between Labour and Lib Dems, says Jane Dodds

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No deal between Labour and Lib Dems, says Jane Dodds

There is no deal “at this stage” on the Welsh government budget, according to Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds.

Labour needs to reach an agreement with another party as the party only has half of the seats in the Senedd.

Her denials on

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come after leaked reports

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.

If the budget legislation fails to pass part of the £26bn spending package must return to the *** Treasury, and the Welsh government would struggle to function.

Dodds said there was currently “no deal” and compared the negotiating to buying a house.

“You look around first and then you check things out and nothing is certain until you sign on the dotted line,” she said.

On Thursday sources from both sides of negotiations said a deal between Labour and Dodds was “close” and the Lib Dems had secured extra funding for childcare, social care and local government.

The deal was also said, according to sources, to go further and include concessions on the Heart of Wales railway line between Swansea and Shrewsbury, bus fares for under 21s, and burying power cables underground.

The Welsh Conservatives said they would not be able to support the budget, and Plaid Cymru has said without fair funding for Wales there was not a deal to be done with it.

Hefin David, Labour MS for Caerphilly, repeated the government’s calls for opposition parties to vote for the budget.

He said: “Supporting the budget will give extra money to the NHS, extra money to education and extra money to transport.”

The Welsh budget for 2025-26 will allocate £26bn of funding to public services.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford had an extra £1.5bn as a result of the *** government’s budget last October.

The final budget is due to be published on 25 February before a final debate and Senedd vote on 4 March.

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