Eluned Morgan: FM says Wales will not face Scotland-style cuts

Ms Morgan, who was effectively appointed by Labour after no other candidate came forward for the job, said: “Well, we’ve made some really difficult decisions in the past two budgets in Wales, so we think we’ve taken quite a lot of the pain already.”

Asked if there could be a budget like Scotland’s, she added: “We’re not expecting to see that kind of situation, because we’ve already made those hard choices.”

Ms Morgan announced Mark Drakeford as interim health minister in August, but is yet to make a full cabinet reshuffle.

She will have to decide whether to appoint the ex-first minister Vaughan Gething to the cabinet, as well as whether to give jobs to four former members of the government who resigned to trigger Mr Gething’s resignation.

Ms Morgan, who was taking part in a photo-opportunity with Education Secretary Lynne Neagle, was asked if the presence of Ms Neagle was a sign she would be staying on.

“I’ve made no promises to anyone”, she said, “other than Huw Irranca-Davies, who is going to be the deputy first minister.”

Ms Morgan and Ms Neagle were marking the completion of the roll out of free school meals for all primary school pupils – something which had been developed with Plaid Cymru while a co-operation deal was in force.

The first minister defended the spending on free school meals amid the difficult financial situation.

“There was a stigma attached quite often to people applying for free school meals, and so we’ve got rid of that in primary schools,” she said.