Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price laid out his party's proposal to increase the basic rate of income tax in a budget debate in the Senedd. The debate was scrutinising the Welsh Government's spending plans for the coming financial year and Adam Price said increasing income tax was the way to stop a "buckling" health and social care system from collapsing.
Plaid's amendment to the budget, tabled by the party's education spokesperson Siân Gwenllian MS and moved by Adam Price, would see the basic rate of tax increased by 1p, the higher rate by 2p, and the additional rate by 3p, "for the purpose of increasing the budget available to deal with the health and care crisis and provide financial help for people in the greatest need."
But it was criticised by the Welsh Government's minister for finance and local government Rebecca Evans MS, who said the money raised wouldn't go far enough and the impact of asking people to pay more would be too great. She said: ""Rising inflation is affecting people across Wales, and we're in a cost-of-living crisis. We will not ask people to pay more at this time. Raising the higher and additional rates of income tax wouldn't raise enough money to make a significant difference to our spending plans."
