# Welsh FMQs Tracker — First Minister's Questions 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 # Welsh FMQs Tracker — First Minister's Questions 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 **Last updated:** 14 July 2026 — 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) — seventh FMQs (pre-recess) **Leader of the Opposition:** Dan Thomas (Reform UK Cymru) **Key exchanges:** || Time | MS | Party | Topic | Notes | |||------|----|-------|-------|-------| ||| 13:29 | — | — | FMQs opens | Last FMQs before Senedd summer recess at end of this week | ||| 13:37 | — | — | 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 — 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 | — | — | Budget crisis breaks | During FMQs it emerged Plaid faces defeat in supplementary budget vote this evening — 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 — "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 — "man dressed up as a bin"; FM quips about "rubbish receptacle trashing of the reputation of the leader of Reform" | ||| 14:57 | — | — | 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 — 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" — 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 — 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 | Fourth FMQs; heatwave dominated opening; Thomas's "devolution is a distraction" line was the defining moment; FM hit back accusing Reform of wanting to undo devolution; wide-ranging session covering economy, health, education, housing, energy | ||| 7 Jul 2026 | ap Iorwerth | Budget brinkmanship, mobile phone ban (Millar: "get on with it"), 100 days critique (Thomas), ALN funding pressure (Skates), graduate nurse jobs (Rock), cross-border NHS fees, Powys hospital beds, Wrexham City of Culture, council borrowing, horse tethering, Andy Burnham article controversy | Sixth FMQs; budget deal the unspoken thread — FM called for "mature conversations"; still no deal for supplementary budget vote next week; Millar told FM to "get on with" phone ban; Thomas said "all we see are reviews, expert groups, audits, plans for plans"; Skates challenged overspend inheritance claim; Rock raised nursing graduate job crisis | ||| 14 Jul 2026 | ap Iorwerth | Budget vote crisis (Labour refuses support), NHS waiting lists (Thomas: "months" pledge vs 4yr timeline), Bonnie Tyler/Ann Widdecombe tributes (Millar), Joe Martin equality row ("focus on colour of skin"), glass in deposit return scheme (Millar), wildfires/heat support (Skates), rural health funding (Evans), Farage by-election joke (Millar), cost savings (Parry-Jones) | Seventh & final FMQs before summer recess; budget crisis broke DURING session — Labour refuses to support £294m supplementary budget over teaching union pay/ALN dispute; Plaid faces likely defeat in evening vote; Thomas presses FM on NHS wait times pledge inconsistency; Millar opens with Tyler/Widdecombe tributes then mocks Farage; Martin's "racist" hiring targets claim swatted by FM; DRS glass row continues; budget outcome defines Plaid minority's first big test | --- ## Trends & Themes - **New dynamic:** Reform UK Cymru is now the official opposition — 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 — 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 — housing dominated second FMQs - **Badger cull theatre (9 Jun):** Ken Skates' theatrical badger questions drew laughs/groans — 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) — consistent fiscal discipline messaging - **Renewables tension (9 Jun):** Both Con and Reform pressed FM on solar/wind — FM defended frameworks but criticised previous Labour application - **Tata/Steel (9 Jun):** Big industrial concern — 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 — 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 — consistent position but more explicit than previously - **AI in health (16 Jun):** New theme — 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 — pragmatic positioning - **"Welsh pound" / procurement (16 Jun):** FM flags concern about Welsh money leaving the economy — 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" — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — cross-party cooperation hoped for. - **Cross-border healthcare (23 Jun):** Powys health board funding questioned — FM says focus on "better outcomes rather than more money." - **Renewables communities (23 Jun):** Caerphilly council privatised Cwm Ifor solar farm — 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 — softer tone than previous week's Nation of Sanctuary clash. - **Roads debate (23 Jun):** Thomas says Wales is "anti-car country" — FM says modal shift needed but road investment will continue. - **Nuclear consistency (23 Jun):** FM reaffirmed backing for nuclear energy for economic benefits — consistent with 13-year position. - **Tourism pressures (23 Jun):** 182-day rule and VAT concerns raised — FM sympathetic but limited by devolved powers. - **Budget brinkmanship (7 Jul):** FM called for "mature conversations" as supplementary budget vote looms without a deal — 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 — 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 — 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 — says it's £120m plus £300m 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 — raises questions about how seriously Labour leadership candidates treat Wales. |- **Budget vote crisis (14 Jul):** Labour refuses to support Plaid's £294m supplementary budget over teaching union pay/ALN funding dispute — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — "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 — FM says "will do everything we can." Ongoing extreme weather across Wales. --- ## Sources - [BBC Live: Plaid faces defeat in vote on its budget plans - First Minister's Questions (14 Jul 2026)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cz9l9ypezdyt) — 14 July 2026 - [BBC Live: First minister told to 'get on with' mobile phone ban in schools (7 Jul 2026)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cql11wwpz1xt) — 7 July 2026 - [BBC Parliament: Welsh First Minister's Questions, 07/07/2026](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002z5kq) — 7 July 2026 - [BBC Parliament: Welsh First Minister's Questions, 23/06/2026](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002yb5j) — 23 June 2026 - [BBC Live: Rhun ap Iorwerth faces Senedd politicians (23 Jun 2026)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c992mkyezeet) — 23 June 2026 - [WalesOnline: First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth to face questions on tourism and housing (23 Jun 2026)](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/first-minister-rhun-ap-iorwerth-34171972) — 23 June 2026 - [Senedd Research: FMQs this week - 23/06/2026](https://research.senedd.wales/research-articles/fmqs-this-week-23-06-2026/) — 23 June 2026 - [WalesOnline Live: First Minister quizzed on Nation of Sanctuary and AI (16 Jun 2026)](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/live-updates-first-minister-quizzed-34129816) — 16 June 2026 - [Senedd Research: FMQs this week - 16/06/2026](https://research.senedd.wales/research-articles/fmqs-this-week-16-06-2026/) — 16 June 2026 - [BBC Parliament: Welsh First Minister's Questions, 16/06/2026](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002xz5b) — 16 June 2026 - [BBC Live: Rhun ap Iorwerth faces Senedd politicians (9 Jun 2026)](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/ceqdngng0rpt) — 9 June 2026 - [BBC Live: Rhun ap Iorwerth faces first FMQs (2 Jun 2026)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1k21027zm4t) — 2 June 2026 - [Nation.Cymru: First Minister predicts long Senedd term after Reform kick off FMQs with vote share clash](https://nation.cymru/news/first-minister-predicts-long-senedd-term-after-reform-kick-off-fmqs-with-vote-share-clash) — 3 June 2026 - [Senedd Research: FMQs this week - 09/06/26](https://research.senedd.wales/research-articles/fmqs-this-week-09-06-2026/) — 9 June 2026 - [Senedd Research: FMQs this week - 02/06/26](https://research.senedd.wales/research-articles/fmqs-this-week-02-06-26/) — 2 June 2026 - [BBC Parliament: Welsh First Minister's Questions, 09/06/2026](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002xq9n) — 9 June 2026 - [BBC Parliament: Welsh First Minister's Questions, 02/06/2026](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002x3jn) — 2 June 2026 - [BBC iPlayer: Welsh First Minister's Questions](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b006myht/welsh-first-ministers-questions) - [Senedd TV](https://www.senedd.tv) - [Senedd Record](https://record.senedd.wales) - [BBC Wales Politics](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/wales/politics) - [Nation.Cymru](https://nation.cymru)