The following amendments have been selected: amendment 1 in the name of Jane Hutt, amendment 2 in the name of Heledd Fychan, amendment 3 in the names of James Evans and Laura Anne Jones, and amendment 4 in the name of Russell George. If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 3 will be deselected. If amendment 2 is agreed, amendment 3 will be deselected.

Item 6 this afternoon is the Welsh Conservatives' debate on the Welsh Government. I call on Samuel Kurtz to move the motion.

Motion NDM9235 Paul Davies

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Believes that 27 years of Welsh Labour Governments, propped up by Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, have failed to improve the lives of the people of Wales, and that only the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to fix Wales and get Wales working.

Motion moved.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, and here we go, the last debate in the sixth Senedd.

Today, we debate a simple question. After 27 years of a Welsh Labour Government, supported time and time again by Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, are the people of Wales better off? Because if Government is to be judged by outcomes, not intentions, then actually the answer is clear, the Government has failed. That is why we propose this motion, that only the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to get Wales working again.

Let us start with what is totally clear. Despite numerous changes of leadership and nearly three decades in power, Labour has run out of excuses. They've had the time, they've had the funding, and they've certainly had the opportunity. What they've not delivered is results. Instead, what have we seen? Projects promised, expensive studies undertaken and then abandoned, such as the M4 relief road. A health service under relentless pressure, staffed by hard-working front-line staff, but failed by a political leadership that makes many promises, but is unable to achieve much-needed change. Businesses, farmers, pubs, post offices struggling to survive under rising costs, and an economy that continues to lag behind every other nation and region of the United Kingdom. After 27 years, Wales should not be trailing, it should be thriving.

Take the economy. Wales today has the lowest employment rate in Great Britain. Economic inactivity is the highest in Great Britain, and wages are the lowest—on average, £4,100 less than the UK average. That's not just a statistic, Dirprwy Lywydd, it's a reality felt in every community: lower living standards, fewer opportunities and diminished prospects for the next generation. Lower wages mean less money being spent and businesses struggling to make ends meet, and why? Because Labour's high-tax, anti-growth agenda has stifled enterprise, punished ambition and made it harder for businesses to create jobs and prosperity. This message was heard loud and clear when Paul Davies and I held a joint business rates surgery with close to 150 businesses, struggling under the weight of increasing business rates here in Wales.

Let's now turn to education. Wales has the worst Programme for International Student Assessment rating in the United Kingdom. I'll repeat that: the worst. Despite receiving more funding per head than England, Labour is spending less per pupil and delivering worse outcomes. Despite the hard work of teaching staff, too many young people are leaving school without the basic skills that they need to succeed. Failed teaching techniques such as phonics were persisted with for too long before being quietly dropped after being exposed. Attendance among the most vulnerable pupils is falling and the Government has no answers to address this. Classroom disruption is rising with record assaults on teachers and soaring exclusions.

Education is the foundation of opportunity, but under Labour, with the support of Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems, that foundation is cracking. And with power slipping from their grasp, a hail Mary pass in Pembrokeshire, a completely unfunded pledge to rebuild Milford Haven school, a pledge plucked out of thin air and which the community can see right through, as nothing more than an empty electoral promise that this Government will not be around to deliver.

And then the NHS: the figures are stark. There are over 700,000 patient pathways, equivalent to nearly one in four people in Wales. More than 5,000 people are waiting over two years for treatment, compared to just 200 in England. And I hate comparing Wales to England as a Welshman, and a proud Welshman, but the statistics are stark that this Government has let Wales down. Nearly 10,000 patients waited over 12 hours in emergency departments in a single month and cancer treatment targets are being missed time and time again. Targets set, missed. Tragically, nearly 40,000 people have died while waiting since the last Senedd election.

And again, in their desperation, this Labour Government is marching the communities of west Wales back up the hill of a brand new hospital. And guess what? This is yet again an unfunded commitment, not based in reality, but on trying to help a First Minister retain her seat. The people of Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire can see through these desperate attempts. This is not just a system under pressure; it is a system that does not work. It is a system failing patients and it is costing lives, and Labour leave a legacy of every single one of Wales's health boards in some level of Intervention.

In rural Wales, the picture, Dirprwy Lywydd, is just as bleak. Farmers being squeezed by poorly designed schemes, broken promises and damaging policies like the family farm tax from their Labour family in London. The sustainable farming scheme rushed through, leaving farmers with little time to adapt. Indeed, announcements are still being made as to what the final scheme looks like. Support payments have been slashed. Regulations like nitrate vulnerable zones are being imposed on a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores the reality of agriculture and rural Wales.

I'm not even touched on the harm and anguish caused by bovine TB and the Welsh Government's failure to eradicate this devastating disease that causes immense harm to farmers, their livestock and their livelihoods. Farmers have taken to protest to demonstrate the strength of their feeling, turning up outside this very Senedd in record numbers, yet the Welsh Government refuse to budge. This is not partnership with farmers; it is a policy being done to them, not with them. It reflects the we-know-best attitude that has become a trademark of this Labour Government.

Plaid's fingerprints are all over these failures too, having backed Labour budget after Labour budget, keeping this Labour Government in power and allowing it to continue to damage Wales.

Dirprwy Lywydd, I'm proud to have stood here for five years as a Welsh Conservative, the party that I was elected to represent, and I am proud of my contributions in defending rural Wales, standing up for local health services and advocating for our important energy, tourism and hospitality sectors, and all the job and wealth creators across Wales. And I'm proud to go into this election as a Welsh Conservative, a party with a plan, with experienced, dedicated politicians, a party with a pro-growth and pro-enterprise approach to the economy, a party with a plan to cut energy costs and support businesses, with a commitment to improve the NHS and reduce waiting times, with a focus on raising standards in education, and a party that will always show steadfast support for farmers and rural communities.

This election is a choice: a choice between continuing down the same road that has left Wales lagging behind, thanks to the policies of Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems; the chaos of Reform, filled with self-serving politicians, led by a snake-oil salesman who attacks Wales, attacks the Welsh language and lives in the pocket of Donald Trump; or the choice to get Wales working with the Welsh Conservatives. Dirprwy Lywydd, one final time, I urge Members to support the Welsh Conservatives' motion this evening. Diolch yn fawr.

I have selected the four amendments to the motion. If Amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 3 will be deselected. If amendment 2 is agreed, amendment 3 will be deselected. I call on the First Minister to move formally amendment 1, tabled in the name of Jane Hutt. 

Amendment 1—Jane Hutt

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Supports the Welsh Labour Government’s record of delivering for the people of Wales, including:

a) the largest and most sustained reduction in the overall waiting list on record and the fastest fall in two-year waits on record;

b) almost £4 billion invested in new school and college buildings in every part of Wales;

c) creating or safeguarding more than 50,000 private sector jobs this term;

d) delivering improvement in roads, transformation of the rail fleet, and a new law bringing bus services back under public control;

e) the highest sustained delivery of social housing in nearly two decades;

f) Wales continuing to be ranked second in the world for recycling, up from five per cent recycling at the start of devolution to over 68 per cent today;

g) over £7 billion invested to keep money in people’s pockets; and

h) the biggest investment in public services in the history of devolution, through the Final Budget for 2026-27.

Amendment 1 moved.

Formally.

I call on Rhun ap Iorwerth to move Amendment 2, tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan. 

Amendment 2—Heledd Fychan

Delete all and replace with:

1. Believes that 27 years of Labour First Ministers of Wales, as well as successive Conservative and Labour UK Governments, have failed to improve the lives of the people of Wales.

2. Further believes that parties not solely focused on Wales, or based in Wales, will never prioritise the interests of the people of Wales, and that only Plaid Cymru has a comprehensive and credible plan to deliver the new leadership Wales needs.

Amendment 2 moved.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. It is—I will give the Conservatives this—a bold motion. The number of people considering that the Conservatives are the answer to the problems Wales has, they're few and far between. The notion that a party that broke everything it touched in 14 years of Government at Westminster can now somehow magically fix Wales is so preposterous that very, very few can take it seriously.

We all know that during this Senedd term the current Conservative group leader has been a passionate and tenacious species champion for the red squirrel. It is estimated that only around 1,500 red squirrels remain in the wild in Wales. But if yesterday's poll is to be believed, that's 1,499 more red squirrels than there will be Conservative Senedd Members after the election. And that one Member will be the current Member for Clwyd West. Perhaps in the next Senedd, someone should ask the red squirrels to champion the endangered species of the Conservatives. But on a positive note at least, the poll does suggest that the squirrels perhaps will get to keep their champion in Darren Millar.

Parties that have consigned themselves to political oblivion and who have seen more defections from their ranks than they have credible policies will never be the answer to the challenges that the next Government will undoubtedly face.

Llywydd, those challenges, of course, are very numerous and we will need a Government that is very clear in its objectives and is uncompromising in its ambition in order to ensure progress across that range of areas within the competence of the Welsh Government. The people of Wales's views are hardening, I think, in terms of the legacy of 27 years of Labour Governments: a health service that is experiencing unacceptably challenging conditions for patients and staff; education standards that compare unfavourably with almost every European nation, certainly the corresponding nations; an economy that is stubbornly unmoving.

I agree with the First Minister's assessment that the people of Wales want a new chapter, but it's clear they don't want Labour to be the author of that next chapter. The Senedd election in just over six weeks' time comes down to two parties now offering two very different futures for Wales. It's Plaid Cymru's offer of a more hopeful, fairer, more ambitious Wales, or it’s Reform’s Trump-inspired politics of Division and chaos, which would set us back decades. Where Plaid Cymru is serious about positively impacting the lives of the people of Wales, Reform offer the same uncosted, unserious programmes as the Tories. And as for the candidates, or lack of candidates, isn't it deeply undemocratic that the party standing in an election that takes place in 43 days' time has yet to announce a list of candidates? 'What are they hiding?' is the question that the people of Wales are asking today.

I firmly believe that Wales can usher in a new era next month, one defined by hope, by confidence and the leadership our nation deserves. After more than a quarter of a century under the same leadership, the people of Wales are ready for change, ready for leadership that listens, that unites and delivers. And no matter what your view is on the wider constitutional question—[Interruption.] Very briefly, as I'm coming to an end.

Have you or have you not propped up this Labour Government over the past 27 years?

Plaid Cymru has successfully used our influence in this Senedd. The Conservatives, over 27 years, have achieved precisely nothing. Nothing has been achieved from the election of a single Conservative Senedd Member when you look back over the last 27 years, and it's no wonder that people will decide not to bring any more Conservative Members back to this Senedd in the election in May.

No matter what your view is of the wider constitutional question, the people of Wales are ready for a Government that stands up to a Westminster system that too often treats our nation as an afterthought. The Conservative motion is born of a typical negative, vacuous approach, which has defined that party's attitude in this Senedd from its infancy: no influence and no-hopers. Oppose the motion today and vote for the Plaid Cymru Amendment, which represents a break from the past and gives you a glimpse of the future.

I know this is the last debate of this Senedd before the election, but I would like to hear the contributions. I would ask, therefore, that Members shouldn't have to shout to be heard. I ask all Members to think carefully during their time in the Chamber.

I call on James Evans to move Amendment 3, tabled in his own name.

Amendment 3—James Evans, Laura Anne Jones

Delete all and replace with:

1. Believes that 27 years of Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrat-supported Welsh Labour Governments have failed the people of Wales.

2. Recognises that only Reform UK have a credible plan to put Welsh people first.

Amendment 3 moved.

Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move the Amendment tabled in my name. I think we need to start this debate with a bit of honesty. Twenty-seven years is a long time in Government—[Interruption.] Calm down, I've only just started getting going. Twenty-seven years is a long time in Government. Twenty-seven years in power without real change isn't a sign of success. It's a warning sign. We've seen it in other countries. The longer one party stays in charge, the less incentive there is to fix what isn't working. It's long enough that you can't keep pointing backwards, and it's long enough that people quite rightly expect real tangible improvements in their lives.

The motion from the Conservatives says that the Welsh Labour Government has failed Wales, and I agree with that, but I've tabled our amendment because it's important we're clear about where the responsibility lies. This hasn't just been Labour on its own. Time and time again, it's been Labour sustained in power by Plaid Cymru, and at times the Liberal Democrats—different labels, same direction, same outcomes. And when you look at those outcomes, I don't think many people outside this Chamber would say things are where they should be.

Let me turn to the Government amendment, because it sets out a very long list of achievements. We hear about waiting lists coming down, billions invested in schools, jobs created, infrastructure improvements, housing delivery, and it even talks about recycling rates. I'm not going to stand here and say none of this has happened. Of course there has been spending. Of course there have been programmes. But the real question is whether people feel those improvements in their day-to-day lives.

Take the NHS, because that's what people raise with me more than anything—

Will you take an Intervention?

I will take an Intervention, Joyce, definitely, from you.

You said 'take the NHS'—isn't that exactly what you intend to do, to take the NHS out of the public sector and into private hands, and people can't actually afford it? So, 'take the NHS' is exactly what you intend to do.

I'll make the point again that Reform UK is not going to privatise the NHS. It will remain free at the point of delivery, and we have committed to that. [Interruption.] Janet, let me make some progress and I'll come back to you, I promise.

Yes, there have been some reductions in waiting times, but the overall picture is still one that's under real strain. Too many people are still waiting far too long. Too many people are stuck in A&E departments. Too many are struggling to access GP appointments.

On education, yes, new shiny buildings are welcome, but new buildings do not automatically mean better outcomes. Parents want to know their children are getting support. They need the standards to improve and the opportunities for children when they leave school. And what do we see here in Wales? None of that.

On jobs, figures about jobs created and safeguarded are always quoted by this Government, but that doesn't reflect the reality in many parts of Wales. People are still struggling with low wages, limited opportunities, and young people leaving Cymru because they can't see a future locally.

On transport, we hear about transformation, but people are still sitting on delayed trains—I've heard that enough times in this Chamber from Janet Finch-Saunders—or relying on limited rural bus services, when we won't recognise any other community transport. Bringing buses back into public control only matters if the service actually improves for the people using it.

On housing, yes, numbers are quoted, but we still have people who cannot get on the housing ladder, and communities where local people feel priced out. That's not what real Government is about. Real Government is about delivery, and this Government has failed to deliver for 27 years.

Turning to Plaid Cymru, they present themselves as an alternative, but let's be absolutely clear what Plaid Cymru stand for: they are a party whose central aim is to rip Wales out of the United Kingdom. They are, at their core, a separatist party, and we should be honest about the consequences for Wales. Yes, Janet.

Did you or did you not state, in public, on a reel I believe, that Reform were terrible, Reform would privatise the health service? Now do I ask your mother, or can I ask you: was that your twin brother, or was that you?

Well, Janet, I'll be honest, I'm not quite sure if I've got a twin brother. You'll have to ask my mother that. But as I said to Tom Giffard, a wise person can change their mind, a fool doesn't know how to, and I'm afraid that's why the Conservatives are going to be an irrelevance after May.

Plaid Cymru's central aim is to rip Wales out of the United Kingdom. Independent analysis has shown that Wales would lose £20 billion a year in public finances if we were to leave the United Kingdom. At a time when our NHS is under pressure, when public services are stretched, and when families are already feeling the squeeze, the idea of deliberately walking out of the United Kingdom is absolutely reckless.

Plaid Cymru have helped sustain this Government they now criticise. They have backed them, they've kept them in power, and they supported all their policies. You cannot prop up a system for years and then turn around and claim to be the clean break—[Interruption.]

No, he's got no time.

I'm out of time, Llyr. I would have taken it otherwise. 

He has to finish now.

The people of Wales want change. It's clear on the doorsteps they want change. The change is not Plaid Cymru. The people of Wales need Reform. After 7 May, if they vote for it, they're going to get Reform.

I call on Russell George to move Amendment 4, tabled in his own name.

Amendment 4—Russell George

Add as new points at end of motion:

Regrets that the Welsh Government failed to intervene in the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee’s decision to adopt recommendations from the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, which included the permanent closure of air ambulance bases in Welshpool and Caernarfon.

Believes that:

a) the next Welsh Government should intervene to ensure that air ambulance bases remain operational in Welshpool and Caernarfon;

b) Welsh health boards and English heath trusts should work closely together for the benefit of patients, regardless of where they live;

c) it is indefensible for Welsh health boards to ask health providers in England to deliberately slow down the delivery of treatment for patients, despite those English providers having sufficient capacity;

d) the current Government has failed the residents of Powys by not funding Powys Teaching Health Board to a level that enables it to purchase healthcare capacity in England in line with English waiting time targets; and

e) the next Welsh Government should ensure that no Welsh Health Board should be permitted to request that providers in England deliberately delay NHS treatment for Welsh patients.

Amendment 4 moved.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I move the Amendment in my name. In short, my amendment seeks to do two things: to protect the Welshpool and Caernarfon air ambulance bases, and stop Welsh patients being treated as second-class citizens in English hospitals. My amendment is not asking this Government to do anything—it's had its chance and failed. My amendment is seeking to bind the next Welsh Government to acting where this one has not.

I'll speak to each part of my amendment, and I'll address the issues around Wales air ambulance bases first. The Wales air ambulance service is world class, delivered by highly skilled teams. They deliver some of the best life-saving services in the world. They can deliver blood transfusions and undertake emergency operations at the scene of an incident, before flying a patient directly into specialist care. People across mid and north Wales weren't just concerned—they were astonished when proposals came forward to close these two important bases. And yet earlier this year, the Welsh NHS Joint Commissioning Committee agreed to press ahead, with both these bases set to close.

Rural Wales is already at a disadvantage. There is no district general hospital in Powys. There are poor transport links and longer journey times into emergency care. So rapid emergency responses is not just a luxury, it is absolutely essential. A single base for mid and north Wales is just not a reality when you consider the geography and weather conditions. But it's not too late to act. Both bases remain open and operational. No planning permission has been agreed for a new site. And to make it clear, this is not just an issue for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity; the air ambulance service is delivered in a partnership between the charity and NHS Wales. NHS Wales commissions that service, and the charity has said it will always abide by the decision of that committee.

While some have tried to say, 'This is a matter of judicial review, that's been completed', the judicial review, of course, looked at the decision-making process, not the decision and the rights and wrongs of that decision. The committee that made the decision is, of course, accountable to the Welsh Government. Welsh Government Ministers could have and should have intervened, and a future Welsh Government Minister still can. If nothing changes, lives will be put at risk because there will be dozens of communities across mid and north Wales that will receive increased response times. Lives will be put at risk, and the next Welsh Government can still prevent that from happening.

The second part of my amendment refers to cross-border care. Patients should be treated on need, not postcode, but Powys patients are being forced to wait longer, even when English hospitals have the capacity to treat them sooner. That's not just wrong, that's indefensible. The First Minister has agreed that is unacceptable, but the Welsh Government hasn't done anything to prevent this from happening. The Welsh Government's response is, in short, that funding is tied to the much slower Welsh waiting times, meaning Powys patients wait longer than English patients, even when being treated in the same hospitals by the same clinicians.

Labour talk about fairness, but this is a two-tiered system. It stems from a failure to properly fund Powys Teaching Health Board. Powys Teaching Health Board say, and I quote them, that they made the decision as they had to live within the financial expectations set by the Welsh Government. People are fed up of the ping-ponging between the health board and the Welsh Government. People in my Constituency are waiting years in pain, while just a few miles up the road, people are seen much, much quicker for their treatment. People want action from the Government, and not excuses. All seven health boards should be funded fairly. That is not the case at the moment. No health board should ever be allowed to request delays to patient care in the way that I've outlined.

I don't expect Labour Members to support my amendment today, but I do ask the Welsh Conservatives, Reform, the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru: please support my amendment today. One of you will form the next Welsh Government, or a combination of you, and the people of my constituency and Powys want to know what your positions are on this really important issue.

The Welsh Government protected people from the devastating harms of 14 years of UK Government austerity and cuts to welfare. When the Conservative UK Government increased the age of bus passes to 67, the Welsh Government kept them at 60. Free prescriptions, free hospital parking, breakfast clubs, which helped with childcare as well as feeding hungry children, followed by free school meals.

The Welsh Government created the all-Wales coastal path, linking people to the wonderful outdoors. It created 4,000 local places for nature, growing food, with 20,000 volunteers involved, transforming their lives physically and mentally. It has cared about the environment with thousands of pollinator sites, community orchards and therapeutic gardens for mental health and well-being.

Clement Attlee saw access to decent housing and nature as part of the national health service, developing national parks, and I'm backing this Government's drive for a new national park for Wales. Under this Welsh Government, we have become world-leading recyclers, bringing businesses to Wales for their valuable collected commodity, opening up repair and reuse cafes, and soon we will be rolling out that deposit-return scheme to help stop littering. When fuel prices rose significantly, the Welsh Government stepped in with fuel vouchers through the discretionary assistance fund and fuel banks.

In terms of building strong communities, you can see facilities that have had funding from the Welsh Government, such as the Willow initiative in Rhyl, the community shop in Llandyrnog, the Buttermarket in Denbigh, Holywell football club and the new golf club in Rhyl. There are new schools, creating a better learning environment, and new energy-efficient social homes for rent, as well as the existing ones that have been retrofitted to bring Bills down and improve health outcomes.

During austerity, Welsh Government stepped in time and time again to protect those foundational services and jobs that are needed to grow our economy, keep us safe and educated. It's been such a relief to have a change of UK Government, just 20 months ago, one that believes in public services. So, this Welsh Labour Government can, again, not just try and hold back Tory devastation, but invest and bring down waiting lists, invest in our highway infrastructure. I was so pleased to pass that last budget, which invested in our public services. One that the Welsh Conservatives voted against.

And it's not just our public service jobs that the Conservatives tried to take away, it was also other sectors. One of the first calls I had was to save jobs at RAF Valley. Rishi Sunak wanted to remove Babcock contracts from there and give them back to his own Yorkshire Constituency. But we fought back, working with Unite, and ensured that a new contract was given to Valley for disassembling the Hawk jets for spares and repairs. The second call was to ensure the engineering unit at Rhyl college went ahead. Rhyl is classed as at risk of flooding. The Welsh Government ensured that funding for the build was secured while planning was resolved. The Welsh Government invested £100 million in flood defences, with the most recent £60 million Rhyl project recently completed, with the additional welcome bonus of a play area on the front, because Welsh Labour-run councils and Governments know that those community facilities matter.

I delivered a petition to the Senedd titled 'Buses for people not profit', and I was so pleased that this Welsh Government and Senedd passed the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, re-regulating services in Wales so that buses will be based on need—in rural areas as well, not just those profitable urban ones. Again, the Welsh Conservatives voted against it.

I am proud that this Welsh Government has invested £800 million in the railway network, delivering new carriages and services, which is growing passenger numbers and satisfaction. It has invested in Transport for Wales, which will be delivering a truly integrated transport service. We need to see continued investment, which will happen under a Welsh Labour Government.

While the UK Conservative Tory Government delivered Eat Out to Help Out under COVID and wasted billions on failed personal protective equipment and tracking and tracing, Welsh Government worked with local authorities who had the expertise in tracking and tracing. Welsh Government took a considered approach.

And this Welsh Government cares about animal welfare, working with animal welfare organisations with their expertise, investing in Animal Licensing Wales, banning glue traps and snares, introducing closed-circuit television in slaughterhouses, banning trail hunting on National Trust land, introducing Lucy's law, banning greyhound racing, which sees dogs as commodity and wastage, and not mass culling badgers, choosing instead to have more accurate testing, using biosecurity and following the scientific evidence. Badgers have lived here for thousands of years. They are part of our landscape, our ecosystems, enriching habitats.

Welsh Government has legislated to see the reintroduction of beavers and added them to its list of protected species. I looked to the species champion there. We have invested in the Nature Networks fund, in peatland restoration and in seagrass as nature-based solutions to flooding and climate change. I am so proud that this Welsh Government leads the way in animal welfare, in the environment, in people, in communities and society.

In just a few weeks' time, the people of Wales will face a choice in what is going to be an incredibly important Senedd election. The choice is clear. It's either four more years of continued failure by Labour and their nationalist chums in Plaid Cymru, or it's the much-needed change with the Welsh Conservatives. The Welsh Conservatives stand ready to reverse the decline and damage of Labour and Plaid that they have inflicted over our country over the past 27 years. It's not going to be an easy task, but it's a task that we're ready to take head on. Under Darren Millar's leadership, the Welsh Conservatives have a clear, ambitious and credible plan to fix Wales. We are the only alternative to the socialists and the nationalists.

Reform UK are doing their best to try and show themselves as a breath of fresh air, but the reality couldn't be more different. Their Welsh leader is still apparently confused between Blackwood and Bath, they are lacking candidates and are clearly struggling to come up with their own policies. Does that sound like a Government-in-waiting to you? Because it certainly doesn't sound like one to me.

Whilst the list of Labour's never-ending failures is as long as my arm and then some, I want to focus on our education. I appreciate my colleague Sam Kurtz touched upon these, but it's just a snapshot of what Labour and Plaid Cymru have done to our education system over the past 27 years. We have here in Wales—. Wales is sitting at the bottom of international rankings when it comes to education: the worst educational outcomes, 20 per cent of children leaving primary school functionally illiterate, a huge underfunding of schools, despite the Government receiving 20 per cent more per head in funding than over the border, record levels of physical assaults on teachers, a tripling of fixed-term exclusions, attendance still worryingly low, poor maths standards, a teacher recruitment and retention crisis, money-wasting on bizarre projects such as creating an anti-racist virtual world, whatever that is, frozen chicken from countries like China being served up in canteens at the expense of our own farmers, a literacy plan in tatters, university applications continuing to drop, A-level participation rates down, tuition fees rising to cover Labour's national insurance hikes, and a failure to expand degree apprenticeships. Sadly, Deputy Presiding Officer, the list goes on and on and on.

Thankfully, my Welsh Conservative colleagues and I have a plan to turn our education system around, and I must stress that the current situation is not at all a reflection of our hard-working teachers and school staff. It is down to successive Labour Governments propped up by Plaid. Labour have failed our children and school staff, and if Plaid Cymru form a Government, things will continue to go from bad to worse. A Welsh Conservative Government will drive up standards in both academic and vocational qualifications and address poor behaviour in our schools. We will be looking to increase funding for schools, making higher and further education more accessible and attractive, as well as providing incentives for young people to stay in Wales, contribute to our economy and reach their full potential.

Turning away from education for a moment, I want to look at what Labour has done in my patch. My constituents in Newport and Islwyn have been clobbered by successive Labour Governments and Labour-controlled city councils. Change simply cannot come soon enough for them. In Newport and Islwyn—let me give you a bit of another snapshot—thanks to Labour, we have sky-high NHS waiting lists, leaving my constituents languishing in pain, residents having more cash squeezed out of them, rising council tax Bills with a service decline, fly-tipping out of control, with Newport dubbed the fly-tipping capital of Wales—[Interruption.] Of course I will.

Thank you so much for taking the Intervention. You were with me and a number of other colleagues across the Chamber at a meeting with Aneurin Bevan, where they spoke about the big decrease in waiting lists. Did you not think to raise these concerns at that point?

I'm referring to issues across the board, but with regard to a hospital visit that we did, I'm appreciative that Aneurin Bevan have actually taken my suggestion on board, which I said in 2021, of expanding the A&E department, which they've done, and people are thankful for it, and I hope that their success continues.

But coming back to the failures, let's talk about those and focus on those. We have huge potholes popping up on our streets, posing a danger to road users, which are not being repaired properly, Deputy Presiding Officer. I have ridiculous cycle lanes being installed across the city. I have Old Green roundabout being ripped out and replaced with traffic lights, a move that has caused unbelievable chaos. Our city centre is crying out for regeneration and a little bit of TLC. I have seen a failure to build an M4 relief road, leading to regular congestion and traffic problems across the area. We've seen barmy 20 mph speed limits in place that really don't need to have them, and I have crime and anti-social behaviour that is simply out of control. Not only that—we have spoken about the A&E just a second ago, but let me talk about the A&E services at the Royal Gwent, which have been stripped out and relocated to the Grange, something that I have been campaigning to reverse. Put simply: Labour and Plaid have failed Newport and Islwyn and continue to let my constituents down. That must change, and that will only change when we have a Welsh Conservative Government returned here in May.

The people of Wales have a chance to say, 'Enough is enough' on 7 May and kick Labour out of office, stop Plaid from pushing ahead with the dangerous independence plans, and prevent impending chaos, which would unfold if Reform got their hands anywhere near the levers of power. Deputy Presiding Officer, please be under no doubt the Welsh Conservative Government, under the leadership of Darren Millar, will waste no time in fixing Wales and getting this country working again.

As this will be my final contribution to the sixth Senedd, may I take this opportunity to thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, for your leadership here in the Chamber—a balanced and fair leadership every time?

I want to address the substance of Russell George's Amendment before us, because, unlike the motion it seeks to amend, there are issues here that matter to the people I represent.

Regarding the future of the air ambulance bases in Welshpool and Dinas Dinlle, I share the deep concerns that so many communities feel that the process has reached this point. I continue to have serious concerns that rural and isolated communities could lose out under proposals to centralise provision. In my Constituency, communities like Llwyngwril or Aberdaron are not just dots on a map, they are places where geography, distance and terrain are very real barriers to timely emergency care. We're told that an as-yet undefined advanced rapid response vehicle will bridge that gap, but more than two years on, we're still none the clearer as to what that actually means in practice. We don't know what this service will look like, who will staff it, whether paramedics, advanced practitioners or others, or where those vehicles will be based. Yet this is the very service meant to ensure that rural communities don't lose out. In effect, it acknowledges the real risk created by centralisation if that mitigation is not in place. That's why clarity is essential. Without clear, credible plans, people are being asked to place their trust in something that remains undefined.

Will you take an Intervention?

Yes. 

Thank you. I agree with everything you've said as well, Mabon. Would you also agree that, during the consultation process, we were constantly told that no base would close until these rapid response vehicles were in place? And that commitment hasn't, unfortunately, been forthcoming from the joint commissioning committee or the Welsh Government.

Yes, that is a real concern that I've touched on, and I'm concerned that we are starting to see things move from Dinas Dinlle as we speak. We're also told that a land ambulance will arrive first, but response times aren't what they should be. We're already seeing vehicles tied up outside hospitals for hours or travelling long distances across north Wales, leaving gaps in cover.

On point (b), regarding co-operation between Welsh health boards and the English trusts, I agree entirely. For constituents in Powys and along the border, healthcare doesn't stop at Offa's Dyke. Services must work seamlessly across that boundary. But it's deeply frustrating that, as I understand it, there has been no meaningful, structured engagement at a Government level to resolve these cross-border issues. That must change urgently.

On point (c), if Welsh patients are being deliberately delayed in accessing treatment in England where capacity exists, then that is clearly indefensible. Patients should be treated based on clinical need, not administrative boundaries. That requires urgent clarification and resolution.

And on point (d) I take a slightly different view. While additional resources are always needed, this issue can't be reduced simply to funding levels for Powys Teaching Health Board. The reality is that English trusts set their tariffs without meaningful input from Powys, leaving the health board with little leverage while remaining dependent on those providers. That isn't a partnership of equals. It's a system where one side sets the terms and the other must simply accept them. Alternatives exist, in theory, in north Wales or further south, but, in practice, they mean longer journeys, different systems and significant disruption for patients and clinicians alike. So, this isn't just about funding, it's about fairness, influence and the structure of cross-border commissioning.

And finally, on point (e), if Welsh health boards are being asked or feel compelled to request delays in treatment for Welsh patients, then that must be addressed without hesitation.

Dirprwy Lywydd, these are serious issues, but they deserve focused debate and action. They also deserve to be considered on their own merits, not appended to a motion whose primary purpose is political point scoring. Plaid Cymru will continue to stand up for rural communities, for fair access to healthcare and for patients on both sides of the border, and we'll do so by focusing on solutions.

Will you take an Intervention?

Diolch. Just finishing, sorry, Russ. 

For 27 years, the people of Wales have been promised better by Welsh Labour, and for 27 years they've been let down. Nowhere is that failure more stark, more personal, more painful than in the running of our NHS. Because this isn't just about statistics or targets, it's about people. It's about the person lying on their living room floor, waiting for too long for an ambulance that should have been there when they needed it most. It's about patients treated in corridors because there simply aren't enough beds. It's about families sitting for hours, sometimes days, in A&E departments that have been described, not by politicians, but by patients themselves, as war zones. And this week, we saw yet another damning indictment, with nearly 1,000 deaths linked to long waits in emergency departments.

Now, that is not just a failure of management, it's a national embarrassment. And let's be clear: this is not a partisan point. Clinicians are saying it. Patients are saying it. The evidence is overwhelming. Our NHS in Wales is under unsustainable pressure, and it's Welsh Labour's record that has led us here. So, when the First Minister stands up and says, 'We know waiting times have been too long'—too long? After 27 years, that is not just an understatement, it is an admission of failure. And what we hear time and again from this Government is self-congratulation dressed up as progress. They boast about reducing waiting lists, but it was on their watch that those waiting lists reached record highs in the first place. They point to staffing numbers, but speak to any doctor, any nurse, any GP, and they will tell you the same thing: they are overstretched, undervalued and working in a system that is not meeting demand. This is the reality of Labour's NHS in Wales.

And yet we also have to be honest about others in this Chamber. Plaid Cymru cannot wash their hands of this record. They have propped up Labour time and again, enabled this Government, supported its budgets and owned its failures. They are not the alternative; they are part of the problem. And as for Reform, well, they have no original ideas. They will lack professionalism, experience and credibility to deliver. They are—[Interruption.] Yes, certainly, Mabon.

Can you just remind me: didn't you try to come to an agreement with the Government on the budget this year?

We certainly did, in a constructive way, but we didn't—[Interruption.] We didn't— [Interruption.] We didn't—[Interruption.] We didn't prop the Government up for 27 years.

We didn't capitulate. We didn't capitulate, like you lot.

But as I was saying—. As I was saying—

We drive a hard bargain, not like you lot.

As I was saying, Reform, they are just opportunists. They're telling everyone what they want to hear. Even in their own ranks they've admitted it, calling their ideas populist and ineffective. Now, Wales deserves better than that. So, we have a plan, one that recognises the scale of the crisis left by Labour and matches it with action. We will declare a national health emergency, not for headlines, but to drive emergency and focus across Government. We will take immediate action—[Interruption.] Rhianon, of course.

Thank you very much. In regard to your last comments, do you accept any responsibility for the 15 years of literal cuts to the Welsh budget?

No. You've had 27 years of unhypothecated budget. You could have spent the money how you want. You made your choices. You chose not to spend it always in health. You spent it in a collection of other areas—your problem, you caused it.

So, we will take immediate action to cut those waiting times and clear the backlog that has been allowed to spiral out of control. We'll guarantee GP appointments within seven days so people can access care when they need it, not weeks later. We will invest in our workforce, because without doctors, nurses and specialists who feel valued and supported there is no NHS. And we will expand, reopening closed wards, delivering new minor injury units and establishing surgical hubs to get people treated faster and more effectively, all backed by real-terms funding increases and a relentless focus on ensuring that the money reaches the front line, where it's needed.

Because this is not abstract. For many people across Wales, this is quite literally the difference between life and death. After 27 years, Wales cannot afford more excuses, it cannot afford more complacency, and it certainly can't afford more of the same. It is time to change; time for accountability and time to build an NHS in Wales that is once again there for the people it serves, fit for the twenty-first century and worthy of the country we are proud to call home.

So, Dirprwy Lywydd, this Government's legacy is one of failure on so many levels, be that health, the economy, education and infrastructure, but the Welsh Conservatives can bring the real change that this country needs. Diolch.

I have to say, Peter, the idea of a change of Welsh Conservatives strikes me as a bit of a nightmare. We know what a Conservative Government looks like. We've experienced Conservative Governments. And, you know, I listen to Sam Kurtz. I always enjoy listening to Sam Kurtz; it's a shame he won't win his election. And I listen to him—[Interruption.] I listen to him—[Interruption.] I listen to him saying that they were a pro-growth party, but we know the reality is that they're no-growth party, because we've seen that—no growth at all over a decade in the United Kingdom. We've seen people's real-term earnings decline under a Conservative Government. We've seen—. We've seen—. We've seen the Conservatives lose £30 billion—£30 billion—in an hour. In an hour. And what did you do? You cheered Liz Truss on. Every single one of you. You cheered on Liz Truss—[Interruption.] I haven't started on them yet; I'm still on you, mate. And what you did, what you did there, was one of the greatest acts of economic and fiscal incompetence that I've seen in the last 20 years, and then you come here to lecture us—to lecture us—on delivering change. Let me tell you: what we have done on this side of the Chamber over two decades has been to protect Wales, to fight for Wales, to stand up for Wales and to invest in the people, communities and places in Wales. And I've seen that investment in my own Constituency.

I was proud to spend some time, as I mentioned already this afternoon, with Lynne Neagle last month, opening a new school, the new Glyncoed Primary School in Ebbw Vale, providing world-class facilities for some of the poorest children in this country, and then, an hour later, opening a new Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar, investing not only in the future of our children, but the future of our culture and language as well. What we need is more of that. We don't need a Government led by somebody who thinks we're a foreigner. We don't need that, do we? And whatever this country requires and needs in the future, what we need is more investment in our people and more investment in our places.

I've seen the investment in the Heads of the Valleys. I've seen the investment building a new economic corridor across the Heads of Valleys, one of the poorest parts of this country, and it's only a Labour Government that invested in it. I remember—. And I know that Rhun has a selective memory on some of these things, but my first term here was with a coalition Government, of course, with the One Wales Government. It was a good Government, to be fair, but what happened was that the Heads of the Valleys roads was delayed, it was stopped, because Plaid Cymru had other priorities. They weren't investing in the Heads of the Valleys, they weren't investing in the people that I was sent here to represent. They're not investing in our people, and that's we saw then at that time.

What we've also seen has been investment in new facilities, new opportunities, and we've seen investment in new skills and opportunities for young people. It was great to see the HiVE open in Ebbw Vale last year, providing world-class engineering skills for people, new opportunities for people. That is another investment in our people, our communities, our country.

But we've got to move forward, and we can't always look backwards. What we've got to do, and I hope we will do—. And I'm speaking directly to you, First Minister, now. When you are returned here as First Minister on 8 May, let me say this—quoting Tony Blair, which I don't often do, I have to say—we're at our best when at our boldest, and I believe the new chapter you've spoken about requires bold action. It requires new ideas. It doesn't require comfort zones of repeating past speeches. It requires a new challenge, to look across the European mainland and European continent for ideas on how we can continue to invest in our country. I want to see us import ideas from countries like Iceland and Estonia. I want us to look beyond the waters. I want us to look beyond our borders. I want us to look for new ideas so that we can bring the best of the world to this country. And what I want us to be able to do is build a society in this place that is different to that we've seen in the past.

And let me say this as well: over the last few weeks and months, and perhaps years, we've seen a tide—we've seen a tide—of racism in our country, which has been driven by Reform. A tide of racism that has been driven by Reform: racism, prejudice, bigotry and Division. Wales does not need that sort of future, and I don't believe that Wales wants that sort of future. I recognise the divisions across this Chamber, and it's right and proper that we exercise these differences—

Alun, you need to conclude now, please.

—but, at the end of the day, we must all also stand for a common decency in our political and public discourse, and we must also stand against the sort of Division that too many people want to import into this country.

Well, here we are, the very last sitting of the sixth Senedd—the end of an era. And, of course, this naturally prompts us all to reminisce. Much has changed since I was first elected in 2011, and one thing's for certain: there's definitely more change to come in six weeks' time. But, as I look back, I realise that Labour has given Wales, to be fair, some consistency in one area, and that is failure. The Welsh Labour failings of the past 27 years are far too many to mention, and, in many ways, I don’t need to list them, because the people of Wales are living with and feeling the consequences of life under a Labour Government every single day. They feel the pain of being stuck on a Welsh NHS waiting list for life-saving treatment. They live with the worry of their children leaving school functionally illiterate. And they feel frustration over potentially having to leave the country they love, Wales, to secure better paid employment. And why? Why are we in this mess? Because of bad decision after bad decision, coupled with face-saving exercises and a refusal to admit where you've got it wrong. Time after time, this Welsh Labour Government has let the Welsh taxpayer foot the bill, pay for its mistakes, rather than hold up its hands to listen and then to rethink: £7.35 million of taxpayers' money wasted on the doomed Circuit of Wales; £172 million in Welsh Government loans and grants on a failing Cardiff Airport; £4.2 million on the hasty, ill-thought-out purchase of Gilestone Farm, which couldn't be used because of nesting ospreys. And I rather like ospreys, but—. Not to mention the £114 million on a desperately needed but cancelled M4 relief road.

Now, I'm not going to let Plaid Cymru off the hook, because, for most of this time, you've been holding their hands. Figures like these, though, multimillions of pounds wasted, and the disregard for hard-earned taxpayers' money should shock us all. But we've become so used to it, it no longer shocks us. First Minister, you said the other day that you've opened this hospital there, you've invested this there; you talk as though it's your money. And as the late dear Margaret Thatcher said, there is no such thing as Government money; it is taxpayers' money.

Right from the days of COVID, Welsh Labour has been hellbent on doing things differently for the sake of it, and it has cost our people the price, the COVID pandemic being one of the most depressing examples of this. And you can laugh and you can scoff about what Rishi Sunak did or didn't do, but he kept our country, the United Kingdom, going at a time of global crisis. Trying to set yourselves apart from the Conservative UK Government for no logical reason, and those actions cost lives to people in our nursing homes and people in our hospitals. You've refused a full independent Welsh COVID inquiry, denying answers to those poor families of the bereaved, and you squandered an opportunity to learn any valuable lessons. Far from learning lessons, the Welsh NHS now is in a worse state than ever. We're still reeling from this week's Royal College of Emergency Medicine report and the shock revelation that there are 18 deaths a week in Wales linked to 12-hour hospital waits. And one of my colleagues here said 40,000 people across Wales—that is no laughing matter.

And I'll tell you something now, and I won't be speaking on this now, will I, until after the election, hopefully, but it is fair to say that some of you are really, really wrong. You disrespect our electorate, you disrespect our residents, because you say things that, if you didn't have parliamentary privilege, you wouldn't get away with. I take no joy in saying that Welsh Labour's legacy will be one of destruction and failure. There are no winners when a Government fails, especially when they fail so catastrophically wrong for so long.

Janet, you need to conclude now, please.

Yes, I will do, and thank you—diolch. 

I just hope and pray that the people will vote for the Welsh Conservatives. We've not had our hands on the tiller yet. I know we can. We will put Wales on the road to recovery. We will clean up the trail of destruction that Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems have left behind. Diolch.

I haven't been here for 27 years, but I do know that what we've managed to do in the last 15 years is infinitely better than what has been achieved by Governments at the other end of the M4 to date. The UK Labour Government is now adapting our free breakfast schemes, which we have been serving our children since 2004. That is a compliment to what we are doing.

I'm afraid the Plaid Amendment almost doesn't even comply with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Surely, we have to be able to learn from other countries. We can't simply only have ideas coming out of something that is based in Wales, so I found it a rather depressing read.

I certainly feel that one of the proudest achievements in the fourth Senedd that I felt I helped to make was to help shape the well-being of future generations Act, crafted by Carl Sargeant. I'm unbelievably disappointed to read that instead of the legislation that is applauded across the world, including at the United Nations, the Tories now plan to abolish the well-being of future generations commissioner. Shocking. Shocking. As well as the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, who are all now talking about the future generations committee that they want to form.

Could you name three achievements that have come from the role of the future generations commissioner and the commission itself?

Absolutely. The focus on food, the focus on well-being, that prosperity isn't just about money, the focus on communities. I think there's a whole wealth of things. But I'll continue, otherwise I'll run out of time.

One of the most important achievements of the Welsh Government in the fifth Senedd was suspending the right to buy in 2019, which has been a foundation stone of the investment in 20,000 new social homes for rent in this Senedd. It's something that I find extraordinary, that the current UK Government, over 20 months in power after being elected, still hasn't got round to doing, and I don't know quite how they think they're going to persuade local authorities and housing associations to build new social homes, as we have done in Wales, if they're instantly going to be snapped up by property speculators.

I think that it's also fantastic that we have prioritised net-zero timber-framed housing, which enables people to live in well-insulated homes with next-to-no heating Bills. That's absolutely fantastic. Clearly we have an awful lot more work to do on that.

I think the Welsh curriculum is absolutely wonderful. It's streets ahead of anything that they're teaching in England, where instead of having to teach what is being dictated by Whitehall, they can shape the curriculum to the needs of the pupils in front of them. And I have seen that in action in several schools in the last few weeks, and it is really quite extraordinary.

In the sixth Senedd, I just want to pay tribute to Huw Irranca-Davies and Jane Hutt for the work that they have done to improve Wales's food security. I think the sustainable farming scheme is a sound foundation for the agriculture we need to meet the needs of our citizens as well as to trade with other nations. Continuing to rely on importing veg and fruit is a risky business, and that is highlighted every single day, as we do not know what the outcome of this war in the middle east is going to bring us.  I think that the flowering of community food projects, based in churches, community centres and in schools that the Equality and Social Justice Committee has seen in our last inquiry, will help provide the resilience that communities may need if this war in the middle east is not to be resolved. So, I commend the Welsh Government for its work.

The Llywydd took the Chair.

 The First Minister now to contribute, Eluned Morgan.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. I want to start not with statistics, not with our record or even with this Government, but with the people of Wales, because that is where we should always begin, and that is where it is appropriate for us to end. 

I want to start today not with statistics, but with people: the families in the Valleys who needed a home; the patients in pain who'd waited too long; the young person in Wrexham who needed somebody to open a door; the unpaid carer in Bridgend, exhausted, who'd given everything and just needed someone to give something back; the child who sat down to a warm meal at school because we made sure that they could. Those aren't statistics, they're people. And everything we've done, every argument, every budget, every difficult decision was done with them, not just in our minds, but in our hearts. And when I became First Minister, I made a promise. This Government would not be judged by what it said; it would be judged by what it did. And we built a Government focused on one thing, on delivery.

It meant pace, urgency, a culture of accountability that ran from Cabinet right to the front line. But of course behind every decision we make, there are values that drive us. I came into politics for one reason, the belief that the circumstances of your birth should never determine the trajectory of your life. That was a lesson I learned growing up in that vicarage in Ely, and one I see just as clearly today in the tiny city of St David's where I live. 

We came into this term facing the hardest circumstances any Welsh Government had ever faced: a pandemic that had pushed our NHS to its limits, contending with the fallout of Brexit and rising inflation, a cost-of-living crisis hitting families already stretched to breaking point, and a decade of Tory austerity draining our budgets. And I'd like to pause here and thank Rebecca Evans, who quietly and diligently served as a Government Minister for 12 years, her work as finance Secretary during the toughest years of the pandemic and austerity, and her work now as economic Secretary has demonstrated that this woman can turn her hand to anything. Thanks for all you've done for this nation, and we wish you well as you move on from this Chamber.

Our answer to the challenges we are facing was not a strategy document, it wasn't a consultation, it wasn't a vision statement; our answer was delivery—real, tangible, measurable change that people can see, they can feel and they can rely on, every day. And let me tell you what that's meant, not in the language of Government, but in the language of life. Better health has meant the largest and most sustained reduction in NHS waits on record, with waiting lists falling for eight months in a row, and we're on course to deliver 40,000 cataract operations this year. And I'd like to pay tribute to Jeremy Miles for his work in the toughest portfolio in Government, for his success in reducing waiting lists. Thanks for all you've done in serving the people of Wales over so many years, and I wish you very well as you move on to your new chapter.

And behind those numbers are real lives: the woman who can walk to the shops without pain, the man who can see his grandchildren's faces again, the family who finally got the call they've been waiting for. When it comes to more homes, that's meant hitting our target of 20,000 social homes with 3,643 homes delivered last year, the highest on record. Because homes are not a luxury, they're the foundation on which everything else depends, and you can see it across Wales: homes going up, keys handed over, families settling in; a child with somewhere to do their homework, a parent with somewhere safe to raise their family, a future that finally feels secure.

Better transport: our investment in rail has led to a satisfaction rate of 92 per cent. New trains, new services, important because good connections are not just about getting from A to B, it's about getting to work, to college, to opportunity. And then more jobs: that's meant over 50,000 opportunities directly supported by the Welsh Government in the private sector over the course of this Senedd term. That's not just a number on a spreadsheet; these are people in jobs being raised out of poverty, earning a living, building a life.

And, Llywydd, I want to speak about something else that will endure long after this term ends. Twenty-nine years ago, the people of Wales voted for devolution. They trusted us with a Parliament of our own. And in this Senedd term, we have made that Parliament deliver. We've passed 27 pieces of primary legislation—27 Welsh Laws made here, for Wales and by Wales. That is what Welsh Labour does: we turn our values into action. Removing profit from the care of looked-after children, a cause championed by Mark, by Julie, by Jane and others, but driven through by Dawn Bowden, who has contended with one of the trickiest portfolios in Government. And I'd like to thank this adopted Bristolian Merthyr woman for all she has done in this and in other portfolios she held. Thank you, Dawn.

Some who want to govern Wales can't tell you what their flagship policies cost. They can't tell you what they would do with our NHS, our buses, our housing, only that they would do it differently and they would make a plan. Some would have you believe that you can cut taxes and strengthen public services at the same time. Some trade in Division, some with easy answers to complex problems, pitting community against community. That's not leadership. That's not serious Government. This is not the time to take your foot off the pedal, because working with a UK Labour Government, we now have the chance to go further and faster with over £1.5 billion already unlocked for Wales and much more within reach.

Now, before I finish, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for what you have done to serve the people of Wales. Backbenchers who'll be leaving us, people like Jenny Rathbone and Mark Isherwood, who've fought the corner for their communities and have served as committee Chairs, I thank you for your years of service. I thank Julie James, Julie Morgan, John Griffiths, Mick Antoniw, Lesley Griffiths, Lee Waters, Joyce Watson. I hope those of you who are not standing again I've mentioned you all, except two I'd like to mention further.

The first is Jane Hutt, who has had the most remarkable career in this place. She must be a world record-breaker when it comes to serving on the frontbench and certainly the kind of resilience this woman has, the kind of energy she has. It's wonderful to see her family in the gallery this evening. Do you know what? You can have her back because we're exhausted. She has done a terrific job and you should be incredibly proud of her. And also, I want to mention Mark Drakeford, who has done incredible things for this nation. We are so grateful to you, Mark, for everything you've done for us, for the people of Wales and for the leadership you've shown at a time that was incredibly challenging.

I'd like to thank you, Presiding Officer. You have served 10 years in this very important role and I think you’ve done a pretty good job of keeping us in order. [Interruption.]

Thank you, Jack. [Laughter.]

We're very grateful. We're very grateful for your leadership. 

Thank you for everything you have done in your role as Llywydd. It has been an honour to be a part of this Senedd, and we are extremely grateful to you for your leadership.

I also want to thank all of you for the hard work you all do in your communities—the countless hours, the long weekends, the heaps of abuse. So, why do we do it? We do it because we all care. We do it because we care. So, to every colleague in this Senedd, to every public servant, to every partner who has helped us to deliver this term, thank you. And to the people of Wales, thank you for your trust. I believe in the people of Wales, in their resilience, their warmth, their humour, their stubborn, magnificent refusal to accept that things cannot get better.

Wales is a better place because of what we have done.

Wales is better for what we've achieved here. But we have a lot more to do, and let me be clear: we're not finished yet. Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd.

In this debate, Darren Millar has the last word.

Diolch, Llywydd. Twenty-seven years of Welsh Labour rule. Yes, propped up by Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats. And we all know what that record is: the longest NHS waiting lists in the United Kingdom; just this week, 1,000 people said to have died needlessly—that's the estimate, not from us, but from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine—last year alone; the worst education system in the UK; and the lowest wages. Along with higher council taxes, higher business rates, less free childcare than over the border, and, of course, those very irritating default 20 mph speed limits on roads that are frankly so full of potholes it's difficult to reach 20 mph on most roads, it is a record of failure by anybody's measure. And on top of this, of course, you've failed our farmers, you've failed rural Wales, you've certainly failed the people of Powys, who are treated like second-class citizens when they go to hospitals in England to receive their treatment.

I heard Carolyn Thomas talk about Rhyl. The Labour Government has failed the people of Rhyl. It didn't deliver that hospital that it promised to deliver. It should've been built by now. And it's still one of the most deprived parts of Wales after 20-odd years of Labour Government. The record really is appalling. And it's absolutely right that it's not just Labour's failure. It is the failure of Plaid Cymru too, and you must accept responsibility for that.

You kindly referenced my role as a species champion for an iconic Welsh species, the red squirrel. I quickly Googled the species for which you are the champion—the chough. How apt. I checked out a little bit of trivia about the chough, and I understand, very aptly, that its conservation status is 'green'. When it's agitated, it makes a right racket like a football rattle. And it has a very large red bill, which is exactly what you're going to leave the people of Wales, should you ever rip Wales from our precious United Kingdom.

My message to Plaid Cymru is very simple: you can't keep propping up a failing Labour Government, signing partnership agreements, entering co-operation agreements, having formal coalitions, voting for Labour budgets and Labour legislation, and then turning up on people's doorsteps at election time saying, 'We offer change', because nothing could be further from the truth. You're not a party offering change; you are the back end, at the moment, of a failing pantomime horse that is the Labour-Plaid duopoly that has been trotting around the pantomime stage for many years here in Wales. You're a party that represents more of the same, more continuity, more left-wing failure.

And Reform isn't the answer to Wales's ills either. As everybody in this Chamber will know, I am all for Damascene conversions. I really, really am. But James Evans converting from the Conservatives to Reform really does take the biscuit after some of the things that he has said about Reform, in this Chamber and outside of this Chamber too. That was a conversion I simply don't believe in, to be honest.

Reform can produce headlines, they can produce slick social media clips, but when you scratch beneath the surface, they are not a serious party. Let me tell you this: we do not need a party running Wales whose former leader is in prison for taking Russian bribes, and we certainly don't need insomniacs, conspiracy theorists and people who consider the Welsh language a foreign language in charge of our proud nation.

Llywydd, the people of Wales deserve much better than this. They deserve a Government that understands a very simple principle, and that is that if you support hard-working people by cutting income tax, you can grow the economy. If you support small businesses by reducing business rates, you can grow the economy. If you support home ownership by restoring the right to buy and scrapping stamp duty, you can grow the Welsh economy. And if you support families by extending free childcare to enable parents to get back to work, you grow the economy. We've said very clearly how we will do it. We've set out a clear plan for change, to transform this nation and unleash its opportunity. That's what our plan to fix Wales and get Wales working is all about.

Labour has had 27 years. Plaid has had its chance—it has complained about things that it could have changed if it delivered better budget deals and better legislation deals, and you've absolutely failed. Reform—I hope they never get the chance to ruin our nation. So the choice at the election is clear: more failure, risky Reform, or a safe pair of hands with the Welsh Conservatives to fix Wales and get our country working once again.

The proposal is to agree the motion without Amendment. Does any Member object? [Objection.] There is objection. Therefore, we'll defer voting until voting time.

Voting deferred until voting time.