Plaid Cymru's new finance minister, Elin Jones, has warned that funding decisions for the Welsh government's manifesto pledges will be 'extremely difficult' in the coming months. Speaking to the media, Jones acknowledged that the financial outlook for this year is 'challenging', adding that it is 'probably more challenging than I expected it to be'.
The Welsh government's budget will be a key issue in the coming weeks and months, as Plaid Cymru seeks to pass its budget with the support of other parties. The party has promised to deliver on its manifesto pledges, including a childcare offer, but has been accused of being unclear about the financial implications of these proposals.
The Labour party has hit back at Jones' comments, accusing Plaid Cymru of being dishonest about the financial challenge facing the Welsh government. Huw Thomas, Labour's spokesman for finance, said that Welsh Labour was always honest about the challenge and that the Institute for Fiscal Studies had highlighted the scale of the problem.
Plaid Cymru representatives have said that they will re-prioritise some of the £7bn spent on tackling child poverty by the previous Labour government in order to fund the childcare offer. However, this has been met with criticism from Labour and other opposition parties, who argue that this will dismantle the progress made in tackling child poverty.
The implications of these funding decisions will be significant for Welsh citizens, with potential costs of up to £400m over four years. The outcome of these decisions will also have an impact on the relationship between Plaid Cymru and other parties in the Welsh government.