The Senedd has signed off on the Welsh Government’s £26bn budget for the coming year after ministers struck a deal with the Liberal Democrats.

Senedd members voted 29-28 in favour of the final budget, with Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds abstaining after securing more than £100m worth of commitments from ministers.

Labour, which holds half the Senedd’s 60 seats, needed the support of at least one opposition member to pass spending plans for the 12 months from April.

The deal with Ms Dodds, the Lib Dems’ only Senedd member, included a promise to ban greyhound racing in Wales and allocate £15m for a pilot of £1 bus fares for under-22s.

The MP-turned-Senedd member secured £30m for childcare, £30m for social care, £10m for playgrounds and leisure centres, £10m for rural investment and £5m to address pollution.

Ministers also committed £8m to a “funding floor” to reduce variation across Wales’ 22 councils, with each set to receive a minimum increase of 3.8 per cent.

Leading a debate on 4 March, finance secretary Mark Drakeford said the 2025/26 budget provides an additional £1.6bn for public services.

The former first minister told the Senedd: “No party has ever had a majority since devolution began, so we have always had to craft a path to stability in Wales.”

Prof Drakeford added: “Those who send us here believe it is a strength to see different political parties working together and so do I.

“So, I’m grateful to Jane for putting the interests of the people of Wales above the daily clash of politics.”

Without the deal, ministers faced losing more than £4bn in the financial year from April.

Ms Dodds, who represents Mid and West Wales, said she felt a deep sense of responsibility to reach an agreement on the crucial budget.