The Welsh Labour Government is set to waste over a quarter of a million pounds on political posturing by setting up a new London office, Welsh Conservatives claimed today.

The First Minister is set to sign a contract to lease office space on Victoria Street in Westminster at a cost to taxpayers of £270,000.

Welsh Conservatives said the new London base was unnecessary and amounted to "empire-building at the taxpayers' expense."

Paul Davies AM, Shadow Minister for Finance, said, "It is extraordinary, at a time when the NHS budget is being cut by 6.5% and schools are severely underfunded, that Welsh Labour Ministers have decided to lease some of the most expensive office space in Europe.

"The Welsh Labour Government already has office space at the Wales Office HQ and to set up a separate headquarters simply amounts to political posturing.

"This is the very worst example of empire-building with taxpayer's money, designed simply to create a sense of activity.

"Regrettably, the reality is that this is a tired motionless Labour Government, which is failing to take the tough decisions for growth in our economy and improvement in our public services."