Welsh Conservatives to launch Senedd election manifesto

The Welsh Conservatives are set to launch their 2026 Senedd election manifesto today.

Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar MS will unveil the document, titled Fix Wales, at the St David’s Hotel in Cardiff. He is expected to describe it as a “positive plan to get Wales working”.

“People in Wales are crying out for positive change,” he will say. “This is our credible and costed plan to deliver just that.

“Our message to the people of Wales is this: no matter where you live, or what your circumstances are, you’ll be better off under a Welsh Conservative Government.”

The manifesto is expected to centre on tax cuts, infrastructure investment and reforms to public services.

Among the headline commitments is a 1p cut to the basic rate of income tax, which the party says would save the average working family £450 a year. The Conservatives also plan to cap council tax increases and require referendums for rises above 5%.

Housing measures include scrapping Welsh Stamp Duty on main homes and restoring the Right to Buy in a bid to boost home ownership.

On the economy, the party proposes re-establishing a Welsh Development Agency to attract inward investment and create jobs, alongside a target of delivering 125,000 apprenticeships over the next Senedd term. It also plans to boost the farming budget by £100m.

Infrastructure pledges include delivering an M4 relief road, upgrades to the A55 in North Wales and dualling the A40 to Fishguard.

The manifesto also backs nuclear power for energy security while introducing a moratorium on large-scale wind and solar farms.

In education, the Conservatives propose a £1,000 tuition fee discount for students studying STEM subjects and refunds of tuition fees for nursing, medicine, teaching and dentistry graduates who commit to working in Wales for at least five years.

The party has previously outlined plans to declare a health emergency and increase hospital bed numbers.

Mr Millar is expected to criticise Labour’s record in government and dismiss smaller parties as lacking credibility.

Opinion polls have suggested the Welsh Conservatives are currently trailing in fourth place ahead of May’s election.