Welsh Liberal Democrats won't support Vaughan Gething to pass budget

The Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds won't support First Minster Vaughan Gething to pass legislation in the Senedd. She made her intentions clear while speaking at a coffee shop in Cardiff Bay as she announced the Welsh Lib Dem manifesto.

Perhaps disappointingly for people who are used to Ed Davey's antics, this was just a speech to the assembled cameras and leader Jane Dodds only walked in (no paddle board or abseil in sight). In her speech Ms Dodds, who is the sole Lib Dem Senedd Member, criticised the First Minister and laid out her party's determination to resolve issues in social care.

Since the collapse of the cooperation agreement with Plaid Cymru in the Senedd, Mr Gething has been unable to be sure of getting legislation through. Mired in controversy around donations he accepted during his leadership campaign, Mr Gething has recently lost a no confidence vote in the Senedd. He has of yet refused to resign.

Read more: Taylor Swift donated amazing gift to people in Cardiff who really needed it

Don't miss: 'I went to a car boot sale and everyone seemed to be there for one thing'

As Labour have 30 of the 60 Senedd seats, Mr Gething will need the support of other parties to pass the Welsh Government budget. When WalesOnline asked Ms Dodds if she would refuse to do so she said: "That's correct. I voted in a vote of no confidence which means no confidence in the First Minister. That means that when it comes to the budget I won't be voting with the Labour Government on that budget." Sign up for The Will Hayward newsletter for all the latest on Welsh politics.

When asked if she would back a future budget under a different leader she said: "Yes. Very clearly this is about what the First Minister has done accepting £200k from a polluter. Actions speak louder than words."

Regarding Welsh Labour calling the vote of no confidence a gimmick she added: "I was very affected by that. It wasn't an easy decision for me to make. For me it was a big deal to take part in that vote and also I wanted to give him a chance but nothing changed."

Ms Dodds used her manifesto launch to talk about her experiences with the care system which both her parents needed to use. She particularly highlighted why it was important for people with dementia to have access to Welsh language care as people with the disease often revert back to the language of their birth.

Surrounded by two dozen supporters, by far the biggest cheer came when she called for changes to the first-past-the-post voting system.

Jane Dodds MS said: "Every vote for the Welsh Liberal Democrats at this election is a vote to elect a strong local champion focused on getting you fast access to GPs and dentists and will give our nation's carers a fair deal. We will stop sewage being dumped in our rivers, protect our children’s mental health, and deliver warm homes that insulate you from the cost-of-living crisis.

"Our vision is of a better Wales where we work in partnership across our four nations, of restoring people’s faith in public service by cleaning up our scandal-ridden politics and in fixing our broken relationship with Europe. Like the Conservatives, Welsh Labour have let communities down, our NHS outcomes are some of the worst in the country and they have all but abandoned rural Wales.

"Both large parties also refuse to scrap the two-child benefit cap, a cruel policy that is helping to keep the 29% of children in Wales living in poverty trapped there."

The parties manifesto plan included:

• Boost the Carer's Minimum Wage

• Give unpaid carers a fair deal, lifting the Carer's Allowance/Carer Support Payment by £1,040 a year and removing the earnings cliff-edge.

• Deliver £50m more a year for Welsh agriculture

• Generate an extra £500 million in capital funding for Wales which the party say could be used to build new local health facilities, tackle the housing emergency, end the scandal of crumbling concrete in public buildings, and stop sewage dumping;

• Make homes warmer and cheaper to heat with a ten-year emergency upgrade programme, starting with free insulation and heat pumps

• Deliver £500,000 per year in extra funding for Natural Resources Wales to spend on the enforcement and monitoring of sewage pollution in Welsh waterways.