Reform challenges other parties to cost their policies in heated Welsh election debate

Reform challenges other parties to cost their policies in heated Welsh election debate18 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMark Palmer,Assistant editor, Wales politicsandAdrian Browne,Wales political reporterBBCThe ninety minute debate involved the leaders of the six largest partiesReform has challenged all the main parties to publish the full costs of their promises to voters ahead of next week's Senedd election.None of the six larger parties have released full details, with independent analysts criticising the lack of transparency on how manifesto pledges would be funded.On BBC Wales' Your Voice Live: The Leaders' Debate Reform's Dan Thomas said he would publish his party's plans if the others followed suit.Labour's Eluned Morgan and Darren Millar said they were prepared to, while Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth said his party had published "many of the costings".Green Anthony Slaughter said his party had revealed some costings while Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds said she would not as her plans were about "ambition".Meanwhile four party leaders on the left ruled out working with Reform - but not each other.Voters in Wales go to the polls on Thursday 7 May to elect 96 Senedd members from 16 constituencies.Waiting lists apology, cost of living and more powers in election debateParties target specific postcodes on social media ahead of Senedd electionThe Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says the in-coming Welsh government will face a severe financial squeeze, with day-to-day funding and investment growth slowing significantly.The experts warn that many of the manifesto pledges by the parties will be likely to require tax rises or cuts to public services.In the sometimes bad tempered live BBC1 TV debate, the calls for the leaders to fully publish their spending plans were greeted with a round of applause by the studio audience.The leader of Reform UK in Wales, Dan Thomas, said he would publish his plans...