Plaid Cymru promise more details on childcare as it survives Senedd vote with Tory help

The Plaid Cymru Welsh government has promised more detail on its flagship childcare policy before the middle of July in a Senedd debate where it survived a vote with Tory help.

On Wednesday Reform demanded the Plaid government publish costings and a timetable, claiming it was not clear if the party's policy was affordable or realistic.

But Plaid said Reform had promised voters nothing on childcare.

Ministers promised an update on initial costings and how the scheme will be phased in before the start of the Senedd summer recess.

Plaid Cymru is promising to introduce 20 hours of universal childcare for babies aged from nine months to children aged four by May 2030.

So far ministers have not given precise dates for when babies would benefit from the scheme, and have been accused of failing to spell out how it would be paid for, or what spending would be cut to afford it.

It is planning to expand childcare for two-year-olds first, before rolling the scheme out further.

Reform had called a vote on Plaid Cymru's childcare policy on Wednesday, demanding costings and a timetable before the party's first 100 days in government were up.

It seemed possible that Plaid - which is in a minority in the Senedd - could have suffered a defeat of some kind, with most opposition parties criticising aspects of the plan.

But Reform's motion failed to pass and a Plaid amendment got through. Both had Tory support.

Reform criticised the Conservatives after the debate, accusing them of giving Plaid a "blank cheque on a policy expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds".

It published an AI generated picture on Facebook of Welsh Tory Senedd leader Darren Millar and Plaid first minister Rhun ap Iorwerth in bed together.

A Tory source accused Reform of playing "stupid political games", pointing out it had also voted with Reform, and said the Conservative party supported expanding childcare and was "trying to do the right thing" .

In the debate, Reform's Welsh leader Dan Thomas said his party supported the existing childcare offer, which is 30 hours a week for parents in work or training.

"At the moment, it is not clear if Plaid Cymru's flagship childcare promise is affordable or realistic," he said.

"Plaid Cymru have had plenty of time to prepare for government. They said their manifesto was fully costed".

Thomas said Plaid's promise of initial costings before the summer recess "was not enough".

"If they cannot produce full costings, their claims during the election were untrue," he said.

His colleague Cai Parry-Jones claimed the policy could cost much more than the £400m stated by Plaid.

Reform's Joe Martin said over the last few weeks there had been a "masterclass in political deflection from our new and esteemed first minister [Rhun ap Iorwerth], who somehow manages to wriggle out of giving a firm answer to basically any question he's ever asked".

Lynne Neagle, of Labour, said the Senedd had heard "warm words and vague timelines, but that is not enough. Plaid Cymru claim this policy was fully costed, so what is the delay?"

To groans of protest from Reform itself, Sarah Rees of Plaid Cymru accused the party of choosing "to spread fear and misinformation about the childcare sector".

She raised a story from the election campaign where a candidate claimed "abuse in nurseries will skyrocket". Rees said: "This is misogyny and fearmongering, plain and simple. It insults both childcare professionals and parents."

Sam Rowlands of the Conservatives said: "If a policy is genuinely affordable, then publishing those full costings should strengthen confidence in it, not weaken it."

Meanwhile the Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds said: "It is very perplexing that Reform UK, who have brought this motion today, had not a single commitment on childcare in their Welsh manifesto."

The Plaid Cymru minister responsible for the policy, Sioned Williams, asked Labour to "really think carefully" about aligning with Reform, which she said "has no intention of supporting families".

Welsh Labour interim leader Ken Skates intervened, asking if Plaid would publish "detailed costings".

Williams added: "I'm having conversations with the finance minister about the realignment of the budget in this financial year, to align with the priorities that all ministers have - all the things that we were elected to do."

Reform's motion calling for costings and a time table failed to pass, 39 votes to 52, with Plaid and Labour opposed but Tories in support.

An amendment from Plaid criticising Reform for having no commitment on childcare, and vowing initial details before the summer, did get through, 50 votes to 41, also with Tory support.

A final vote on the motion as amended passed 61 votes to 29 against with 1 abstention.

Among those who voted for the final motion, which criticised Reform's manifesto, were 11 Reform MSs.