Event

Welsh Elections 2026: tax, spending and the economy (Cardiff)

This event hosted by UK think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies discusses the current fiscal landscape and analyses the proposals of Wales’s political parties.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies and Cardiff University invite you to join us for an evening of insight and discussion on the fiscal, economic, and public policy choices facing Wales ahead of the 2026 Welsh elections.

As voters prepare to head to the polls on 7 May, this event will explore the parties’ plans on tax, spending and public services, and the wider challenges and opportunities facing the next Welsh Government.

Event Programme

At this joint event organised by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, leading experts will set out the current fiscal landscape and analyse the proposals put forward by Wales’s political parties.

David Phillips (Head of Devolved and Local Government Finance, IFS), Guto Ifan (Lecturer in Politics at Cardiff University) and Dr Ed Poole (Reader in Politics at Cardiff University) will together set out the fiscal and policy context facing Wales, and explain and analyse the proposals put forward by the different political parties for tax, spending and public services. 

• How has Welsh Government funding and spending changed, and what is the outlook for the future?
• What are the similarities and differences in the parties proposals?
• And what challenges or trade-offs would the parties’ plans entail given the challenging fiscal context facing the next Welsh Government?

The chair of the event will then open the floor to questions from the audience, ensuring a lively but balanced discussion.