Land Transaction Tax (the Welsh equivalent of Stamp Duty) has become a serious obstacle to ambition in Wales. It adds yet another cost for people simply trying to move forward, whether that is a young family hoping to buy their first home or older residents looking to move into something more suitable.

However, this tax is just one symptom of a deeper failure. Wales is facing a housing shortage after years of Labour governments failing to deliver the homes our communities need. More than 25 years of Labour control have also taken a toll on the wider economy, suppressing growth and eroding long-term opportunity, leaving working people worse off.

We are now seeing the same mistakes repeated at Westminster. Excessive spending and higher taxes have pushed public finances to the limit, with families paying the price through rising costs and declining public services.

What Wales urgently needs is a clear change of direction, policies that support hardworking families, rebuild confidence and allow people to keep more of what they earn. Yet too often, young people are penalised simply for choosing to build their lives here.

Currently, Wales has no first-time buyers support which means that a family in Chepstow, just a short distance from the English border can pay thousands of pounds more in tax than for the same property in England. To make matters worse, families in England get support for childcare costs for children from 9 months old, this is not the case in Wales which means that the average family could end up paying more than £4,000 more in childcare per year for a two-year-old child.

Sadly, families are being punished for living on this side of the border worse off simply because they live in Wales. It is little wonder that border communities feel particularly hard done by and question why they are being treated so unfairly.

The problem does not stop with young families. Older homeowners also find themselves stuck. Many want to downsize but are deterred by the high tax burden, leaving them trapped in homes that no longer meet their needs.

Reducing this tax would have a real impact. Couples looking to downsize could save thousands on their council tax, while the family moving into that home could also save money that should help households plan for the future, not disappear into the Treasury.

Ultimately, this is about fairness, opportunity and ambition. By easing the tax burden and backing working families, we can free up the housing market and ensure that choosing to live and raise a family in Wales is a positive choice, not a financial penalty.