A WAR of words erupted today between Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru over the Welsh government’s supplementary budget and funding for children with additional learning needs (ALN).

Plaid Cymru accused Welsh Labour of being “irresponsible” for walking away from an offer of £80 million of extra funding for ALN proposed by the Welsh government as part of behind-the-scenes discussions on its supplementary budget

Labour said £80m for ALN was not enough.

The party’s Senedd member for Cardiff and Penarth, Kiera Marshall, said: “It is deeply irresponsible for Labour to walk away from such a constructive offer.”

The backdrop to the row is the £340m given to Wales by Westminster as a consequence of extra spending in England on children with special educational needs.

Labour, alongside all 22 Welsh local authorities and teaching unions, have called on Cardiff Bay to use the additional money to fund support for additional learning needs in schools in Wales.

Interim Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates accused Plaid Cymru of “making a virtue” of their support for children and young people while in opposition, but not backing this up now they are in government.”

The comment was made following the recent announcement of Plaid Cymru’s first supplementary budget, where no extra money was allocated to support children with ALN.

Plaid Cymru needs other parties to support its supplementary budget as it does not have a majority in the Senedd.

The offer of £80m can be seen as the opening skirmish in a negotiation with Labour to gain its support.

It is notable that Plaid has used a backbencher to attack Labour’s rejection of £80m of ALN funding rather than a minister.

“By voting against the supplementary budget, not only would Labour be voting against £145m for the NHS, £55m towards funded childcare and £15m to roll out free school meals in secondary schools, they would be exposing the fact that they would rather score political points than act as a responsible opposition,” Ms Marshall said.

Mr Skates pointed out that over 40,000 pupils in Wales have additional learning needs.

“While in opposition, Plaid Cymru insisted that they would provide for pupils with additional learning needs — now they have the power and the resource to make those decisions, they are making a choice not to,” Mr Skates said.