Plaid and Lib Dems joint budget bid

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood explains why her party's joined forces with the Welsh Liberal Democrats ahead of any budget negotiations with the Welsh Government and sets out some of her priorities.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams explains why her party has joined forces with Plaid Cymru ahead of any negotiations with Labour on the Welsh budget.

Unless Labour wins the Anglesey by-election in August, Carwyn Jones will still need the support of at least one of the opposition parties to push through his spending plans in the Autumn. Last year he reached a deal with Plaid Cymru and the previous year it was with the Liberal Democrats.

Kirsty Williams and Leanne Wood hope working together will strengthen their bargaining power. They won't reveal exactly what sort of spending commitments they're looking for, saying they'll agree that after the draft budget is published.

They have given clues though. Kirsty Williams repeated her call for spending to plug the 'funding gap' between schools here and those in England. Leanne Wood emphasised her commitment to job creation. And they added a third area of spending on the health service.

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood says joining forces with the Lib Dems will put the parties in a 'strong bargaining position' to negotiate with the Welsh Government in the autumn.

Neither of the parties will say exactly what deal they'll try to reach with the Welsh Government but say there's more that they agree on than disagree. Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams says:

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood and Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams announcing their agreement to hold talks jointly with the Welsh Government ahead of its next budget. Labour will need the support of at least one party to push through its budget.

Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats have announced they will work together to negotiate with the Welsh Government on next year's budget.