Welsh election: FM opposes 'wholesale' benefits and tax devolution

Powers over welfare benefits and most taxes are "better discharged" at a UK-wide level, Welsh Labour's leader says.

Mark Drakeford said he was against the devolution of "the benefits system and taxation in a wholesale way".

He told the BBC's Walescast podcast they were "part of the glue that holds the United Kingdom together".

Plaid Cymru called his views "unionism" trumping "socialism", the Tories oppose extra Senedd powers while the Liberal Democrats support devolving benefits.

The Welsh government is responsible for some taxes, including the tax on house purchases and a portion of income tax, but no welfare powers have been transferred from Westminster to Wales.

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In January 2019, first minister Mr Drakeford said on the floor of the Senedd it was his view that the Welsh government "ought to explore the devolution of administration" of welfare benefits to Wales.

In this year's Welsh Labour spring conference, he called for "home rule for Wales in a successful United Kingdom".

Mr Drakeford described "home rule" in his conference speech as a "more powerful devolution settlement" for Wales - "internationalist, not nationalist; outward facing, not inward looking".

Asked on Walescast for a political belief that does not fit with the rest of his values, Mr Drakeford said: "I have always been a convinced devolutionist and always been at the sort of devo-max end of the spectrum.

"But I don't share the enthusiasm that some of my colleagues have for the devolution of the benefits system, and taxation in a wholesale way.

"I think that sometimes surprises me, and it quite definitely sometimes surprises them, because those are two things which I think are part of the glue that holds the United Kingdom together and, on the whole, it's much in Wales' interest that we have that machinery that allows for redistribution in that socialist way.

"Obviously [it is] not used in that way by the current government, but [by] a Labour government with its hands on those levers that allow you to use macroeconomic policy and the social security system for the benefit of those people who need it most.

"I still think those are things better discharged at a UK level," he added.

WALES ELECTION: THE BASICS

What's happening? On 6 May, people will vote to elect 60 Members of the Senedd (MSs). The party that can command the support of a majority of MSs will form the Welsh government. Find out more here.

What powers does the Senedd have? MSs pass laws on aspects of life in Wales such as health, education and transport - and have some tax powers.

Parts of the welfare system have already been devolved to the Scottish government.

Research by Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre in 2019 found that the transfer of the same welfare benefits to Wales could boost the Welsh budget by £200m a year.

The Senedd's cross-party equality committee also found in 2019 that devolution could create a more "compassionate" benefits system, but that it would not happen automatically.

Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru's election campaign director, said the "staggering self-deception" of Mr Drakeford's position on the devolution of welfare "leaves Wales at the mercy of successive Tory governments intent on making the poorest in society pay the highest price".

"The first minister is scrabbling to defend the indefensible - this is just the latest example of his unionism trumping his socialism every time," she said.

Conservative Senedd group leader Andrew RT Davies said: "The Welsh Conservatives have been absolutely clear; no more powers, no more taxes, no more constitutional chaos.

"We are the only party standing in May's Senedd election not talking about powers or the constitution, but with a sole focus on Wales' economic recovery."

Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said she was "disappointed" by the comments by the Welsh Labour leader.

"Not only would the devolution of welfare put us more on par with Scotland, it would for the very first time give us the unique tools to solve the problems so many communities here face," she said.