Welsh Liberal Democrats claim Spending Review shifts costs onto local taxpayers

THE LIBERAL DEMOCTRATS have accused the UK Government of forcing local families to foot the bill for police funding increases through stealthy rises in council tax.

The warning comes after the Government’s Spending Review 2025 revealed that so-called “police core spending power” includes projected income from council tax hikes, with Westminster assuming annual increases of up to 3%, alongside a £14 rise in the police precept each year.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson, David Chadwick MP, said the figures expose a hidden burden on households and amount to a political sleight of hand.

“Labour is relying on a hidden council tax bombshell to fund their half-hearted rise in police funding as they pass the buck to local families,” he said.

“After frontline policing was neglected for years under the Conservatives, local communities deserve better than this.

“The Government must put more bobbies on the beat, with the proper funding to make it happen. Liberal Democrats will keep pushing for the neighbourhood policing our communities deserve.”

According to the Spending Review’s small print, the average Band D household in England will pay an extra £395 a year by 2028-29, compared to current levels.

The Liberal Democrats warned that while social care precepts apply only in England, the Welsh Government may choose to follow suit – further compounding the burden on taxpayers in Wales.

Welsh Conservatives accuse Chancellor of political spin, while Labour defends benefits pledge, amid Winter Fuel Payment U-turn

THE UK economy shrank by 0.3% in April, according to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics—news that has reignited political debate over Labour’s recent U-turn on Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, had earlier this week claimed that the reinstatement of Winter Fuel Payments was made possible due to an improving economic outlook. But the announcement of a contraction has prompted criticism from opposition parties, who say the justification no longer holds.

South Wales Central MS and former leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, accused Labour of making politically motivated decisions rather than ones rooted in economic reality.

Mr Davies said: “Earlier this week, Rachel Reeves ludicrously tried to claim she would reinstate Winter Fuel Payments thanks to an improving economy – just days later, our economy shrank.

“This proves what we all knew – scrapping Winter Fuel Payments was not motivated by economics – it was a foolish move to attempt to look tough, targeting vulnerable pensioners in the process.

“Following a backlash, Labour has u-turned – but they don’t even have the decency to admit they got it wrong. Pensioners will not forgive and forget this betrayal.”

The payments, worth up to £300 per household, provide support to older people during the winter months to help with heating costs. Labour had initially proposed to restrict access to the scheme as part of a broader review of universal benefits, but reversed the position following widespread criticism from charities, pensioner groups, and political opponents.

Labour has defended the decision to reinstate the payments, arguing that the policy was under review and that the commitment reflects their continued support for older people.

A spokesperson for the Treasury said: “The Chancellor has made clear that our priority is protecting the most vulnerable while maintaining economic stability. The decision to maintain Winter Fuel Payments aligns with that objective.”

The latest GDP figures reflect broader volatility in the UK economy, with some sectors experiencing downturns due to high interest rates and ongoing global uncertainty. Economists cautioned against reading too much into a single month’s figures, though the data will add pressure on the new government to demonstrate steady economic leadership.

The row highlights the difficult balancing act Labour faces as it seeks to restore fiscal credibility while protecting welfare spending—a challenge that is likely to remain a central feature of the political debate in the months ahead.

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced major new spending commitments aimed at improving end-of-life care and support for military veterans in Wales.

Party leader Darren Millar MS used a policy forum in Cardiff on Saturday (June 14) to unveil proposals which include £40 million in extra funding for hospices and a range of new measures to support the country’s 115,000 veterans.

Among the pledges is a plan to extend free bus travel to all veterans regardless of age, a £3 million boost for Veterans NHS Wales to fund peer mentoring services, and the creation of a National Military Museum for Wales.

Mr Millar told the forum: “I have an ambition for Wales to become the most veteran-friendly nation in the world.

“A Welsh Conservative Government will extend free bus travel to all 115,000 military veterans in Wales, no matter their age. We will invest an additional £3 million into Veterans NHS Wales to fund peer mentoring services.

“We will also honour our heroes, including those who are still with us, and those who have gone before, by establishing a National Military Museum for Wales.”

On hospice and palliative care, Mr Millar criticised the current Welsh Government for what he described as a lack of support.

He said: “It is disgraceful that the hospice movement in Wales has been saddled with huge tax rises without one penny from the Government to help.

“I do not believe we should be making it harder for dying people to get the care they deserve.

“No matter what people’s views on the Assisted Dying debate, everyone supports the need to improve access to high quality end-of-life and palliative care.

“A Welsh Conservative Government will invest an additional £40 million over the term of the next Senedd into Welsh hospices and palliative care. We will ringfence funding for Wales’ children’s hospices to meet 50% of their operating costs, providing the biggest boost in palliative and end-of-life care in Welsh history.”

According to the Welsh Conservatives, children’s hospices currently receive less than 20% of their running costs from the Welsh Government.

The proposals are part of the party’s pre-election policy development and are expected to feature in its manifesto ahead of the next Senedd election.