Plaid leader accuses Conservatives of ‘giving up’ on being opposition

Emily Price

Plaid Cymru’s leader has accused the Conservatives of “giving up” on being an opposition party in the Senedd.

Rhun ap Iorwerth’s scathing comment came after it was revealed that the leader of the Senedd Tories would miss a key vote on the Welsh Government’s spending plans this afternoon.

Darren Millar and fellow Conservative MS Russell George have instead flown to the United States to attend a national prayer breakfast in Washington DC on Thursday, where President Donald Trump is due to speak.

The event will see attendees pray alongside Members of Congress for America’s leaders.

Both Mr Millar and Mr George are trustees of an evangelical Christian organisation that hands out Bibles.

The Conservative group leader has spoken openly about his faith since becoming elected as a Member of the Senedd for Clwyd.

In an interview with BBC Politics Wales last year he said being a Christian is “part of who I am” and “people need to get over it”.

‘Remarkabe’

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday, Mr ap Iorwerth criticised Mr Millar for not attending the Senedd on the day they were due to discuss the Welsh draft budget.

He said: “It is remarkable that the leader of the Conservative group couldn’t be here today of all days, choosing a breakfast in America instead.

“They’ve clearly given up even on being an opposition party.”

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson later said: “On a day of important scrutiny of the Draft Budget, the Tories’ absence tells you everything you need to know about how little regard they have for Wales.

“While they attend a breakfast in America, they’re making a dogs dinner of holding the Welsh Government to account. Meanwhile,  Plaid Cymru Members will be doing the job the people of Wales expect of them.

“The Tories have no real desire to oppose Labour’s spending plans which do nothing to address the challenges facing our communities.

“Plaid Cymru is the only credible alternative to Labour, both as an opposition and as a prospective government in 2026.”

Symbolic

The vote on the budget on Tuesday (February 4) is non-binding and largely symbolic with a final vote on Welsh spending set to take place in March.

The vote is expected to be tight for the Welsh Government and would be embarrassing if it were lost.

Because Labour holds half the seats in the Welsh Parliament, it cannot win a vote if opposition parties unite.

Both Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives have indicated they will not support Labour’s spending plans.

But the absence of two Conservative politicians during today’s motion means that the government will likely be able to win its budget vote.

The Senedd Tories have defended Mr Millar’s absence saying he is helping to rebuild relations between Wales and the US.

A spokesperson said: ” There is a vote today to ‘note’ the draft budget.

“It is not the final vote which will be next month. The Welsh Conservative Group will certainly be voting it down because we believe Labour have the wrong priorities.

“Darren had a longstanding commitment in the US where he will be meeting a number of high-profile politicians.

“Following the decision of Keir Starmer to allow around a hundred Labour activists to campaign abroad against President Trump, Darren’s presence will help rebuild relationships between the US and Wales more broadly.”