6 months ago
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Mark Drakeford has dramatically criticised the Welsh government's decision to scrap changes to the school holiday.
The Welsh government earlier announced that plans to cut the summer school holiday had been shelved until the next Senedd election.
Visibly angry and addressing his remarks at education secretary Lynne Neagle, he said he regretted the “political damage” the decision would cause to Wales.
In response she told the former first minister: "You cannot have a consultation and then just ignore that consultation."
It comes a day before his successor, Vaughan Gething, will face a crucial no confidence vote in the Senedd.
Earlier he said he expected to win it.
“Let’s be clear that what we’ve heard this afternoon is the abandonment of a manifesto commitment made by the Labour Party at the last election,” said Mr Drakeford.
“The minister shouldn’t seek to shelter behind semantics in saying to me that this was a commitment to explore reform of the school day.”
It is a significant intervention – and Mr Drakeford’s first since he handed over the reins.
It follows weeks of simmering discontent within Labour over donations to Mr Gething’s leadership campaign.
Mr Drakeford told the chamber that Ms Neagle's predecessor published a plan to move one week from the school summer holiday to the autumn half term.
“It was a start on a journey that would have improved the outcomes for children in Wales,” he said.
In response Ms Neagle said she regretted Mr Drakeford's tone, "which I do feel call into question my own commitment to children and young people, which is the only reason I am standing in this job".
"It is getting those children out of poverty is what I am interested in doing through implementing our reforms."
