Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend Senedd member Andrew RT Davies has accused Plaid Cymru ministers of withholding vital education funds from schools, claiming £340 million allocated to the Welsh Government by Westminster has not been directed to classrooms.
Mr Davies said: “Vale schools face significant budget shortfalls. Plaid Cymru separatist ministers should prioritise sorting this out.
“Plaid have been handed £340 million in additional funding for schools, yet they’re not going to pass it on.”
The funding boost came from the Welsh Government being given money due to extra funding spent by the UK Government in Westminster, however it is not obliged to spend it on education.
The majority of the money has been held back by Plaid Cymru ministers until the publication of their first full autumn budget.
Mr Davies called the situation “unconscionable,” especially given the ongoing financial challenges facing schools in his constituency.
He also criticised what he described as an “outdated funding formula that has not changed for over 30 years.”
This, he argued, has contributed to the Vale being consistently underfunded in terms of per-pupil education spending.
He further accused the Welsh Government of redirecting funds toward “ideological projects” such as the Nation of Sanctuary programme, which has spent approximately £63.87 million between 2019 and 2025 to support refugees and asylum seekers in Wales.
Schools across the Vale of Glamorgan have been under financial strain for some time.
The council previously issued formal budget warnings to seven schools.
These warnings were lifted in January 2026 following improvements in deficit recovery plans.
However, council documents indicate that up to 38 schools in the area could still be in deficit by March 2026.
Responding to the criticism, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: “This is a new Welsh Government, and we have not yet had the opportunity to publish our first full budget — that will come in the Autumn, when we will set out our full spending plans for this Senedd term.
“Welsh Ministers decide how funding from Westminster is spent in Wales — that is what devolution means.
“The Autumn budget will be the opportunity to set out our full, long-term approach to education spending.”
