Welsh election: Labour promises to train 12,000 for NHS in manifesto

Welsh Labour says it will train 12,000 new medical staff for the NHS if it wins the 6 May Senedd election.

The pledge is part of its manifesto, which includes a new medical school in north Wales and improved pay for social care staff.

Leader Mark Drakeford said the plans, launched on Thursday, would "build the Wales of tomorrow".

He said the election was a "choice to go on investing in our young people" or "to take a different path".

Labour is fighting to keep its hold on the Welsh government, which it has led since the start of the National Assembly in 1999.

It was the largest party at the last election, and is defending 29 seats.

Mr Drakeford told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast Welsh Labour would open the first new national park in Wales since 1957, to create jobs and tackle climate change.

The park would cover the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley.

Meanwhile the manifesto promises not to take more in income tax from Welsh families "for at least as long as the economic impact of coronavirus lasts", and says Welsh Labour would review the eligibility on free school meals, extending it "as far as resources allow".

Mr Drakeford insisted Labour would not do a deal with the Conservatives if no party won a majority at the 6 May vote, and ruled out supporting a Welsh independence referendum if a deal was done with Plaid Cymru to get Labour back into government.

Plaid has pledged to hold a referendum within the next five years, if it is elected into government and has the support of the Welsh Parliament for the vote.

WALES ELECTION: THE BASICS

What elections are happening? On 6 May, people across Wales will vote to elect 60 Members of the Senedd (MSs). The party or parties that can command the support of a majority of members will form the Welsh government. Find out more here.

What powers does the Welsh Parliament have? MSs pass laws on many aspects of day-to-day life in Wales, such as health, education and transport. They also have control over some taxes. Defence, foreign policy and immigration are decided by the UK Parliament.

How do I vote? Anyone who lives in Wales and is registered to vote is eligible, so long as they are aged 16 or over on the day of the election. You can register to vote online.

Mr Drakeford defended Labour's record in government, saying the party had kept Wales "safe" during the coronavirus pandemic and asked people to "give us the chance to complete the job".

"This has been an economic crisis as well as a public health crisis... I'm determined there will be no lost generation of young people here in Wales as we wait for our economy to recover," he said.

The Welsh Labour leader also defended plans not to extend free school meals to all children with parents on benefits. The scheme is currently restricted to families earning £7,400 or less.

He said more children would have eligibility "year on year", if Labour was elected back into power, and Wales was the first part of the UK to guarantee free meals during the school holidays.

He attacked Plaid Cymru's manifesto, saying it was "reckless" and "relied on borrowing money" - Plaid has insisted it is costed and independently checked - while insisting all of the pledges in Labour's manifesto were "credible" and "deliverable".

Asked why Labour had not used all its borrowing powers while in government, he said the party would "maximise the use" of borrowing in the next five years, but said making social care free at the point of delivery was "impossible".

"Everything we say, we can do," he added. "When people are making choices... it is between a party who knows what it is to be in government, has the experience... and if they say something, it will happen."

Mr Drakeford, 65, had previously said he would stand aside as first minister if re-elected before the end of the first term, but would not be drawn on who he thought should succeed him.

The manifesto launch took place at Coleg Cambria in the constituency of Delyn - which Labour holds at Senedd level but lost at the Westminster election in 2019.

Welsh Labour said it would train 12,000 "doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and psychologists" over the five years of the next Welsh government term.

It said it would continue to fund the NHS bursary to support those in training, and would prioritise investment in mental health services.

The party said there were six "ambitious pledges" at the heart of the election plans, including:

It also promised a "new generation of integrated health and social care centres" and an "in-reach" child and adolescent mental health service in schools.

It says Welsh Labour would consult on a "potential Wales-only solution" to funding social care if the UK government "fails to bring forward a fully funded scheme".

The party also promised a moratorium on large incinerators.

On the future of devolution Labour says it will lead Wales "in a national civic conversation about our constitutional future".

No commitment was given on whether there should be more Senedd members, but it said Labour would "build on the work" of a committee which recommended 20-30 more politicians.

Labour said its manifesto commitments were affordable and did not rely on increases in devolved taxes.

"This election is a choice. It is about trust and ambition," the first minister added.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething had previously rejected the idea of a medical school in north Wales.