Mark Drakeford has launched a scathing attack on leading figures in the UK government over their attitude to Wales and how it has handled Covid.
Speaking at a press conference where he announced the timetable for lifting the remaining Covid restrictions, the First Minister was asked by WalesOnline about two separate attacks on Wales' ability to set its own Covid rules by leading UK government figures.
Last month, former Brexit negotiator David Frost who is now in the House of Lords, described Wales having its own rules as "nonsense" and on Thursday, Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said "he wishes Wales hadn't had its own Covid rules during the pandemic".
In angry response Mr Drakeford said: "I think it's just important for me to say that, the level of responsibility that we had in Wales to make decisions, was the level of responsibility that the cabinet in which the Secretary of State of Wales belonged, decided we should have at the outset.
"It was the UK Government who made the original decisions about where responsibilities should lie and I think it's shocking that he should feel no responsibility at all for the decision of which he was apart."
The First Minster also attacked the wider Boris Johnson-led UK Government after senior Tory Lord Frost said it was "nonsense" that Wales could have its own separate Covid rules.
"The broader history of the Johnson government has been of muscular unionism," said Drakeford. "One in which the powers and financial resources available to devolved governments have been under attack. I think that is bad for the United Kingdom. I've said this many times and I have said it directly to UK ministers.
"The Welsh Government believes that Wales is better off in the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom is better off for having Wales Wales within it.
"We need respectful relationships that recognise that the powers of the Senedd were confirmed in two referendums by people in Wales and that continual raids on the powers and responsibilities of the Senedd is not the way in which to persuade people of the United Kingdom is the deal that the should be keen to sign up to.
"There's a better future for the United Kingdom than that and I hope that the UK Government will begin to realise that and to act accordingly."
