Welsh Labour is looking poised to go it alone and form a government without help from other parties. Thursday’s Senedd election left Labour with 30 seats – one short of an outright majority. But a senior figure said the party could continue to run the Cardiff government without a deal signed with opposition politicians.
Labour minister Jeremy Miles said the result allowed them to work with parties on a “case-by-case basis”. Party leader Mark Drakeford also said Labour has governed successfully on 30 seats before. With no significant challenge from the opposition to his position Mr Drakeford is expected to be reappointed to his job as first minister.
However, he may in future need help from the opposition to pass laws and get Labour’s spending plans through the Welsh Parliament, with one seat short of a majority.
‘Mr Drakeford told BBC Wales: “We have demonstrated over a number of governments that you can govern successfully on 30 seats, but I’m open to working with any party where there is common ground between us.”
“I’m always much more interested in policy agreements that I am in a sort of political fixing.”
He added: “No party has a monopoly of good ideas, and where there are things that we can work on together, then my administration will certainly look to do that with anybody who thinks that we can work to the advantage of Wales.”
The Welsh government ruled in a minority from 2011 to 2016, striking deals with the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru at various points to pass budgets.
Neath member of the Senedd (MS) Mr Miles said there were “precedents where we have successfully been able to negotiate budget agreements, legislative arrangements on a case-by-case basis with other parties”.
“I think the mathematics of this Senedd, the response that the people of Wales have given, allows for that range of possibilities,” he told the Sunday Supplement programme on BBC Radio Wales.
In the last Welsh government Liberal Democrat Kirsty Williams served as education minister.
Jane Dodds, the Welsh Lib Dem leader elected as their only MS this time, has ruled out joining the Welsh government. She told the Dewi Llwyd ar Bore Sul programme on BBC Radio Cymru: “I’m not expecting [an invite to join the government] and I don’t want it to tell you the truth.”
“I don’t have the experience of being in the Senedd. Kirsty had 15 or 16 years in the Senedd before she had a chance to be in the cabinet.”
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