Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:43 pm on 26 November 2019.

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Photo of Paul Davies Paul Davies Conservative 1:43, 26 November 2019

Well, it's quite clear, First Minister, that your spending commitments in your manifesto will actually bankrupt our country. We were nearly bankrupt back in 2010 when we had £150 billion deficit because of your mismanagement of the economy. But it's not just social care that your Government is planning to force taxpayers to pay even more for, though, is it? Under your Government Wales has the most expensive business rates multiplier in Britain at 52.6p in the pound. We have the highest commercial property tax in the UK on properties over £1 million. Wales's tourism sector will be stifled by the potential introduction of a tourism tax. Our independent schools will lose charitable rate relief where they're registered as charities, and only last month, new hypothecated and broad-based Welsh tax specifically directed at enabling the curriculum transition was being mooted. And let's not forget your party's plans for inheritance tax, which will mean even more hard-working taxpayers' money being filtered back to the state. And that's the Labour Party all over, isn't it, First Minister—taxing our businesses, taxing our land and taxing our people? Is there nothing out of bounds when it comes to generating taxes for the Labour Party? And will you now come clean to the people of Wales and tell us exactly how much a Labour Government at both ends of the M4 will cost?