Skip to main content

Welsh FMQs Tracker โ€” First Minister's Questions ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ

Welsh FMQs Tracker โ€” First Minister's Questions ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ

Last updated: 14 July 2026 โ€” FMQs coverage added for seventh (pre-recess) ap Iorwerth session FMQs schedule: Tuesdays 13:30-14:15 (when Senedd is sitting)

Latest Session

Date: Tuesday 14 July 2026 First Minister: Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) โ€” seventh FMQs (pre-recess) Leader of the Opposition: Dan Thomas (Reform UK Cymru)

Key exchanges:

|| Time | MS | Party | Topic | Notes | |||------|----|-------|-------|-------| ||| 13:29 | โ€” | โ€” | FMQs opens | Last FMQs before Senedd summer recess at end of this week | ||| 13:37 | โ€” | โ€” | Recap of last week | BBC recaps Millar phone ban row, "mature conversations" budget call, Thomas "real danger" warning | ||| 13:41 | Cai Parry-Jones | Reform | Cost savings | Asks if Plaid govt has made "any tangible cost savings"; FM says "making every pound deliver better outcomes" | ||| 13:55 | Dan Thomas | Reform | NHS waiting lists | Asks when two-year waits will end โ€” cites FM's campaign pledge of "months" vs health minister's "four-year term"; FM says "we want to do it in months" via surgery hubs and supplementary budget investment | ||| 14:01 | Ken Skates | Lab | Wildfires/heat support | Asks for assurance of support for businesses/homeowners affected by wildfires and extreme heat; FM says "will do everything we can" | ||| 14:10 | Darren Millar | Con | Bonnie Tyler/Ann Widdecombe tributes | Pays tribute to Bonnie Tyler (died aged 75) and Ann Widdecombe (shock death); FM calls Tyler "a national treasure" and shares grief over Widdecombe while raising fear about safety of politicians | ||| 14:14 | โ€” | โ€” | Budget crisis breaks | During FMQs it emerged Plaid faces defeat in supplementary budget vote this evening โ€” Labour refuses to support after dispute with teaching unions over pay and ALN funding | ||| 14:23 | Joe Martin | Reform | Equality/race | Calls ethnic minority hiring targets "explicitly racist" and "anti-white discrimination"; FM hits back: "chooses to focus on the colour of skin" while FM focuses on poverty and opportunity | ||| 14:31 | Darren Millar | Con | Deposit return scheme | Criticises including glass in DRS โ€” "bin this unnecessary policy"; FM says there's small retailer exemptions and govt believes it's "doable"; British Soft Drinks Assoc warns of 50p per bottle cost increase | ||| 14:41 | James Evans | Reform | Rural health funding | Says rural health boards lack sufficient funding; FM says "rural proofing" future laws should help | ||| 14:51 | Darren Millar | Con | Farage by-election joke | Pokes fun at Farage resigning to stand in by-election โ€” "man dressed up as a bin"; FM quips about "rubbish receptacle trashing of the reputation of the leader of Reform" | ||| 14:57 | โ€” | โ€” | Close | FMQs ends; budget vote yet to come |

Summary: Rhun ap Iorwerth's seventh and final FMQs before summer recess was dominated by a looming budget defeat. During the session itself, it emerged that Plaid Cymru faces losing the supplementary budget vote this evening โ€” Labour has refused to support it due to a dispute with teaching unions over pay and additional learning needs (ALN) funding. Labour finance spokesman Huw Thomas said the government should withdraw the budget and renegotiate. Dan Thomas (Reform) led on NHS waiting lists, pressing the FM on why his "months" pledge conflicts with his health minister's "four-year term" timeline. Darren Millar (Con) opened with tributes to Bonnie Tyler (died 75) and Ann Widdecombe (shock death), then criticised glass in the deposit return scheme and mocked Farage's by-election bid. Joe Martin (Reform) sparked another equality row, calling hiring targets "racist" โ€” the FM swatted it away, saying Martin "chooses to focus on the colour of skin." Ken Skates (Lab) sought wildfire support assurances. The budget vote looms as the defining test of the Plaid minority government, with Labour and Reform both expected to vote against โ€” potentially forcing Finance Minister Elin Jones to redraw the budget in autumn.

Session Archive

Date FM Key Topics Notes
2 Jun 2026 ap Iorwerth NHS waiting lists, nuclear/Wylfa, water pollution, M4, Menai crossings, education, agriculture, disabled rights First FMQs after Whitsun recess; first for new Plaid Cymru govt
9 Jun 2026 ap Iorwerth Tata Steel, Neil Foden safeguarding, bovine TB/badgers, solar/wind moratorium, town centres, housing/homelessness, no-fault evictions, tourism tax, building safety Second FMQs; broader topic spread; housing dominated; FM ruled out income tax changes
16 Jun 2026 ap Iorwerth Nation of Sanctuary clash, no tax rises pledge, NHS/GPs (100 new), housing/immigration row, AI in health, smartphones/education, defence spending, autism/neurodivergent, wind farms/devolution, council elections, procurement/"Welsh pound" Third FMQs; Nation of Sanctuary dominated; FM refused to engage Reform's inflammatory asylum remarks; tax rises ruled out; broader agenda than previous sessions
23 Jun 2026 ap Iorwerth Heatwave warning, devolution clash (Thomas: "devolution is a distraction"), roads/"anti-car", nuclear cooperation, defence/NATO (Skates tribute to Starmer), supplementary budget/waiting lists, ALN funding, school transport, high streets/town centre taskforce, housing associations, cross-border healthcare (Powys), youth training, renewables/communities, asylum misinformation, tourism/182-day rule
7 Jul 2026 ap Iorwerth
14 Jul 2026 ap Iorwerth
  • New dynamic: Reform UK Cymru is now the official opposition โ€” Dan Thomas led on NHS, international budget
  • NHS waiting lists: Immediate tension between election promise (1yr for 2-year waits) and Health Minister's realism (4yrs)
  • Nuclear ambiguity: Plaid traditionally anti-nuclear but FM backed Wylfa SMRs for "economic benefits"
  • Green debut: Paul Rock (Green Party) first to question at Welsh FMQs
  • Water/Welsh Water: FM pushing for nationalisation and executive pay controls
  • Infrastructure: M4 relief and Menai crossing โ€” FM says work started but no concrete plans yet
  • Housing focus (9 Jun): Youth homelessness, veterans on streets, no-fault evictions, tower block fire safety โ€” housing dominated second FMQs
  • Badger cull theatre (9 Jun): Ken Skates' theatrical badger questions drew laughs/groans โ€” FM refused to engage, said they'll follow science
  • Tax stance (9 Jun, 16 Jun): FM explicitly ruled out income tax changes (9 Jun) and confirmed no tax rises in supplementary budget (16 Jun) โ€” consistent fiscal discipline messaging
  • Renewables tension (9 Jun): Both Con and Reform pressed FM on solar/wind โ€” FM defended frameworks but criticised previous Labour application
  • Tata/Steel (9 Jun): Big industrial concern โ€” electric arc delay; FM positioned as wanting progress but blamed UK gov for reserved powers
  • Nation of Sanctuary flashpoint (16 Jun): Most heated exchange of the new Senedd so far โ€” Reform's Joe Martin made inflammatory remarks linking Sudanese asylum seekers to violence; FM hit back with Reform's ex-leader's Russian money conviction and Ukraine flag controversy; Shav Taj (Lab) gave emotional contribution as child of immigrants
  • Devolution of energy (16 Jun): FM signalled he wants all energy projects devolved to Wales โ€” consistent position but more explicit than previously
  • AI in health (16 Jun): New theme โ€” FM embracing AI as central to healthcare sustainability
  • Council elections (16 Jun): FM confirms too late to change electoral system for May 2027 council elections โ€” pragmatic positioning
  • "Welsh pound" / procurement (16 Jun): FM flags concern about Welsh money leaving the economy โ€” plans to rework procurement rules
  • Devolution under fire (23 Jun): In the most significant constitutional moment of the new Senedd so far, Reform leader Dan Thomas declared "devolution is a distraction" โ€” saying the public want NHS, education and transport, not a "devolution wishlist." The FM hit back: "You want to undo devolution." This marks a major philosophical fault line between Plaid and Reform.
  • Heatwave emergency (23 Jun): FM opened FMQs with an "extremely serious" heat warning โ€” Wales likely to see highest temperatures ever recorded. Llywydd allowed jackets off in chamber. FM urged checking on vulnerable people, warned of cold water shock, transport disruption.
  • Defence repositioning (23 Jun): Under pressure from Ken Skates on aircraft carriers, the FM recognised need to invest in conventional defence and cyber โ€” a shift from previous Plaid positioning. Confirmed Wales should remain in NATO.
  • Supplementary budget scrutiny (23 Jun): Con leader Darren Millar called the budget a "sticking plaster" for 680,000 waiting list patients โ€” FM defended health spending as priority but acknowledged it's "not just about bringing down waiting times."
  • Town centre taskforce (23 Jun): FM announced new town centre taskforce to address high street decline โ€” cross-party cooperation hoped for.
  • Cross-border healthcare (23 Jun): Powys health board funding questioned โ€” FM says focus on "better outcomes rather than more money."
  • Renewables communities (23 Jun): Caerphilly council privatised Cwm Ifor solar farm โ€” FM says communities should own/see wealth from energy projects, "family silver has gone."
  • Asylum misinformation (23 Jun): Government developing "tools" to tackle immigration misinformation โ€” softer tone than previous week's Nation of Sanctuary clash.
  • Roads debate (23 Jun): Thomas says Wales is "anti-car country" โ€” FM says modal shift needed but road investment will continue.
  • Nuclear consistency (23 Jun): FM reaffirmed backing for nuclear energy for economic benefits โ€” consistent with 13-year position.
  • Tourism pressures (23 Jun): 182-day rule and VAT concerns raised โ€” FM sympathetic but limited by devolved powers.
  • Budget brinkmanship (7 Jul): FM called for "mature conversations" as supplementary budget vote looms without a deal โ€” still needs an agreement, likely with Labour on ALN funding.
  • Mobile phone ban row (7 Jul): Darren Millar (Con) told FM to "get on with" banning phones โ€” UK gov issued statutory guidance; FM says he wants to achieve that aim with new guidance.
  • 100 days critique (7 Jul): Dan Thomas (Reform) says Plaid gov producing "reviews, expert groups, audits, plans for plans" rather than action; warns budget could be voted down.
  • NHS staffing crisis (7 Jul): Paul Rock (Green) raised nursing graduate told no job awaits โ€” exposes continuing disconnect between NHS workforce planning and training pipelines.
  • Budget arithmetic dispute (7 Jul): Ken Skates (Labour) challenged FM's "hundreds of millions" overspend claim โ€” says it's ยฃ120m plus ยฃ300m in consequentials; budget deal bargaining in plain sight. |- Andy Burnham controversy (7 Jul): WalesOnline calls out Burnham's team for "error-filled" devolution article submitted with swapped place names โ€” raises questions about how seriously Labour leadership candidates treat Wales. |- Budget vote crisis (14 Jul): Labour refuses to support Plaid's ยฃ294m supplementary budget over teaching union pay/ALN funding dispute โ€” Plaid faces likely defeat in evening vote, which would force Finance Minister Elin Jones to redraw budget in autumn. Most serious test of Plaid minority government yet. |- NHS wait times pledge tension (14 Jul): Dan Thomas presses FM on contradiction between election campaign promise to end two-year waits "in months" and health minister's "four-year term" timeline โ€” FM insists "we want to do it in months" via surgery hubs. |- Bonnie Tyler tributes (14 Jul): Millar opens with tributes to Bonnie Tyler (died 75) and Ann Widdecombe โ€” FM calls Tyler "a national treasure." Rare moment of cross-party unity in a session defined by budget crisis. |- Joe Martin equality row (14 Jul): Reform MS again sparks controversy โ€” calls ethnic minority hiring targets "explicitly racist" and "anti-white discrimination." FM swats him: "chooses to focus on the colour of skin" while Plaid focuses on poverty and opportunity. |- DRS glass row continues (14 Jul): Millar tells FM to "bin" glass inclusions in Wales' deposit return scheme โ€” British Soft Drinks Assoc warns of 50p per bottle cost increase. FM says scheme is "doable" with small retailer exemptions. |- Farage by-election mockery (14 Jul): Millar jibes at Farage resigning to stand in by-election โ€” "a man dressed up as a bin." FM quips about "rubbish receptacle trashing of the reputation of the leader of Reform." |- Wildfires/heat crisis (14 Jul): Ken Skates seeks assurances for affected businesses and homeowners amid extreme heat โ€” FM says "will do everything we can." Ongoing extreme weather across Wales.

Sources

No comments to display

Back to top