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Council tax shake-up could be part of Labour-Plaid deal

Getty Images Mark Drakeford and Adam PriceGetty Images
First Minister Mark Drakeford and Adam Price's groups are still in talks over a co-operation agreement

Changing the council tax system could be part of any potential Labour-Plaid deal in the Senedd, according to the first minister.

Mark Drakeford said the talks were necessary because Welsh Labour has no overall majority to deal with "challenging and ambitious issues".

Both parties are continuing to discuss "an ambitious co-operation agreement".

Plaid members are not expected to enter government as a deal is likely to fall short of a formal coalition.

BBC Wales has been told a deal would likely include a number of policies that both parties work together on delivering.

Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru promised to reform council tax in their manifestos for May's Senedd election.

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The last council tax revaluation in Wales was undertaken in 2003

Labour did not commit to any particular proposals beyond "reforming council tax to ensure a fairer system for all".

Plaid Cymru's manifesto pledged to "undertake a revaluation, increase the number of bands at the higher end of house valuations, and ensure that council tax is more proportional to the value of properties".

The last council tax revaluation in Wales was undertaken in 2003.

Plaid also promised to "bring forward proposals for a new and fairer land and property tax... to replace first business rates, and then, council tax".

Labour matched its best ever Senedd result in May's election, winning 30 of the 60 seats in Cardiff Bay.

Speaking on BBC Radio Cymru's Dewi Llwyd programme, First Minister Mark Drakeford explained his party would not be able to "pass a single piece of legislation with 30 votes, you can't pass a budget through the Senedd either".

Asked for an example of a policy that could be included in any deal with Plaid Cymru, he suggested changes to council tax.

"But it is very difficult to do because some people lose out, a lot of people win," Mr Drakeford explained.

Speaking on the BBC Politics Wales programme, Plaid Cymru Senedd Member Rhys ab Owen said he would like to see Senedd reform, a national care system, and the issue of second homes included in any deal.

The South Wales Central MS added: "I think the public out there appreciate politicians coming together on a consensual level to agree on some of the big issues to move things forward."

Darren Millar, Conservative MS for Clwyd West, told Politics Wales: "What I'm concerned about is that this will end up being another pact which is absolutely obsessed with constitutional change and obsessed with trying to devolve more powers from Westminster."

He added this came at at a time when "we need every sinew of the Welsh government to be focussed on getting to grips with the crisis in our NHS, making sure that we help businesses recover from Covid, and help in our education system catch-up with those may lost months of education".