Copyright walesonline
The Welsh Government will today reveal further details of the £27bn budget for 2026-27. The budget spells out how much money each area of devolved politics, including education, health and housing, will get in the coming year. The upcoming budget is seen as crucially important, because it is the last one before the Senedd election in May, and as a result of Labour's loss in the Caerphilly by-election it will have to do a deal with at least two other Senedd members to pass the budget. If they cannot do a deal, then the budget will pass at 75% of this year's level which could have a catastrophic impact on public services with "big cuts" and major potential job losses. Councils have already warned that if they only get the funding that Mark Drakeford has suggested in the draft budget, it could mean they need to hike council tax by 20% or cut 13,000 jobs. Finance minister Mark Drakeford has said the budget will be almost identical to last year's budget, but with an extra 2% to allow for inflation. He has already said £380m remains unallocated, which will allow the Welsh Government to do a deal with politicians of other parties. Live updates below
