First Minister Apologises for NHS Waiting Times
First Minister Eluned Morgan has issued an apology to patients in Wales experiencing extended waits for NHS treatment.
During a live TV election debate held at S4C's headquarters in Carmarthen, Morgan was prompted by an audience member to "say sorry" regarding the issue.
Earlier on Thursday, figures revealed that Morgan's administration had not met its own targets to reduce waiting times.
The audience member recounted a friend's five-year wait for hip treatment, adding,
"He doesn't have a penny to go private and it's painful, terribly painful. will you say 'sorry'?"
Morgan acknowledged the challenges, noting that waiting lists had increased amid the Covid pandemic.
When pressed further, she responded,
"Of course I'm willing to apologise, I'm very sorry to hear that."
She continued,
"I'm happy to say sorry, it touches me and I feel it strongly because he's not the only one."
Plaid Cymru's Childcare Policy and Funding Questions
Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid Cymru, faced scrutiny over the cost of one of his party's flagship policies: expanding childcare provision in Wales.
Ap Iorwerth stated that the policy would require an additional £400 million annually by the final year of the next Senedd term but did not specify how the funding would be sourced.
He explained during the debate,
"This will be a matter of reprioritisation."
First Minister Morgan interrupted to accuse Plaid Cymru of lacking transparency, saying,
"Plaid Cymru was not being 'honest with people about where the cuts would come from'."
She also criticized the universal childcare policy, stating it would benefit "millionaires" financially.
It is notable that none of the parties have published comprehensive details on how their tax and spending commitments would be financed.
Reform UK and Health Service Debate
Helen Jenner, deputy leader of Reform UK in Wales, was questioned about her party's public service plans and denied claims from ap Iorwerth that Reform UK intended to privatize health services.
When ap Iorwerth referenced previous comments by Nigel Farage on the subject, Jenner responded,
"Ap Iorwerth was 'obsessed with Nigel'."
Jenner was also confronted about a video from March in which Farage referred to Welsh speakers as "foreign speakers." The video was recorded as a paid wedding greeting.
Jenner commented on the remark, saying,
"It was 'not a joke I would have made, but it was a joke'."
Cost of Living and Tax Proposals
Paul Davies, deputy leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, addressed the rising cost of living, proposing a reduction of one penny off the basic rate of income tax.
He stated this cut would be,
"Worth £450 a year to every family."
Davies rejected the notion that a "magic money tree" was necessary to fund tax cuts and indicated that the UK government would be expected to contribute to his party's pledge to construct an M4 relief road around Newport.
Green Party's Housing and Independence Views
Tessa Marshall of the Green Party emphasized her party's commitment to freezing rents for private renters.
However, some audience members expressed concern that rent freezes might encourage landlords to sell properties, potentially worsening housing shortages.
Regarding Welsh independence, which the Greens support, Marshall stated the importance of,
"Building a civic society in Wales as an essential step towards that goal."
Liberal Democrats on Independence and Social Care Funding
Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, reiterated her refusal to collaborate post-election with any party that intends to allocate funds for independence preparations.
She described this stance as a,
"Red line."
The Liberal Democrats also propose raising income tax by an additional penny temporarily if necessary to support social care.
Dodds stated,
"We are completely honest with the public – if the money isn't in the Westminster budget or in the Senedd budget, we want to see 1p on tax to ensure that it goes directly to [social care] services to bring down the numbers in our hospitals."
She did not specify the duration of the proposed tax increase.
