A war of words has ignited as James Evans MS has taken aim at First Minister Mark Drakeford, following Mr Drakeford's recent statement addressing what he termed as the "toughest financial situation" faced by the Welsh Government since devolution.

In his statement released on Wednesday (August 9), the First Minister detailed the challenges posed by the “significant financial pressures” looming over the 2023-24 budget.

Members of the Senedd are in recess, although the First Minister said those in the cabinet will work through the summer to "mitigate" the budget pressures.

He said the Welsh Government's priorities will be to protect "frontline public services" and provide “targeted cost-of-living support to individuals and the economy.”

Mr Drakeford attributed the financial strain to factors such as post-pandemic inflation, alleged economic mismanagement by successive UK Governments and “unfunded commitments made by the UK Government, particularly in relation to public sector pay.”

Despite this, the Welsh Government’s financial position after the UK Government's Budget in March was "up to £900m lower in real terms" than at the last spending review in 2021, the First Minister said.

James Evans, MS for Brecon and Radnorshire has criticised the First Minister’s handling of the situation.

Mr Evans argued that blaming Westminster was unjustified given Wales' receipt of the “largest funding settlement in the history of devolution.”

Labelling the statement a “kick in the teeth for the people of Wales,” Mr Evans said: “To lay blame for the gross mishandling of the Welsh purse on Westminster when Wales is currently receiving the largest funding settlement in the history of devolution shows the level of contempt and disregard Mark Drakeford has for his actions as First Minister.

"In March this year, Welsh Labour Ministers returned £150m to the Westminster government, after failing to spend the budget in time. While we should expect nothing less from an administration that has recently come under fire for dodging scrutiny at home over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, there should be no doubt that as things stand, democratic governance here in Wales is being given the back hand from Labour Ministers."

A report in March found that Wales lost out on £155.5m because the Welsh Government hadn't spent it in time. The figure emerged as part of the scrutiny of the Welsh Government's accounts by the Senedd's Public Affairs and Public Accounts Committee. The funding was lost due to an underspend in the 2020-21 financial year, during the height of the pandemic.

The Welsh Government said the Treasury had rejected its request to carry forward excess funds to the following financial year.

The Brecon and Radnorshire MS also criticised the manner of the First Minister's announcement, suggesting that a direct statement to Welsh Parliament would have been a better option.

Mr Evans said: “Today highlights the style and tone of Welsh Labour politics in Wales. If, as the First Minister claimed, that ‘Wales is facing the toughest financial situation since devolution;, he could have recalled parliament and made a statement to the Siambr. Instead, he chose to release a statement, away from the media, away from the cameras and away from the scrutiny of elected members.

“If this is the new norm in Welsh democracy, we should all be very concerned. We are three years away from the next Senedd election; however, I urge on back bench colleagues in Welsh Labour to take notice of the damage being done by an increasingly reckless administration.”