Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford rages at Tory rival in Senedd

2022-10-18

‘What sort of world do you belong in?’: Red-faced Mark Drakeford launches furious tirade at Tory rival in Welsh Senedd as First Minister rants about mini-Budget chaos

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford rages at his Conservative rival in the Senedd
The Labour politician appears to shake with anger in rant at Andrew RT Davies
The 68-year-old was irked by questions about the state of the NHS in Wales

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford flew into a rage this afternoon as he launched a furious tirade at his Tory rival in the Senedd.

The Labour politician appeared to be physically shaking with anger during a red-faced rant at Andrew RT Davies.

Mr Drakeford, 68, had been irked by Mr Davies’ questions about the state of the NHS in Wales.

He fumed at Mr Davies for trying to ‘claim some sort of moral high ground’ in the wake of the mini-Budget disaster causing chaos at Westminster.

Mr Drakeford’s loss of temper came during First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd as he faced renewed pressure over his Welsh Government’s record on health.

His anger was provoked by Mr Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, quizzing him about ambulance waiting times.

The Tory politician raised the case of a grandfather from Merthyr Tydfil who was forced to wait 15 hours on his kitchen floor for an ambulance, during which he had no choice but to wet himself.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford flew into a rage as he launched a furious tirade at his Tory rival in the Senedd

Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, had been quizzing Mr Drakeford about ambulance waiting times

Mr Davies demanded solutions from Mr Drakeford to deal with pressures on ambulance crews, adding that – while there were problems ‘across the UK’ – the issue in Wales was ‘particularly acute’.

He suggested Aneurin Bevan, the Welsh Labour politician widely known as the founding father of the NHS, would be ‘turning in his grave’.

Mr Drakeford quickly grew angry as Mr Davies sought to interject as he gave his response.

The First Minister soon referenced the Tory travails at Wesminster, where Prime Minister Liz Truss has been forced to junk her mini-Budget and since warned of cuts to public services.

As he predicted a coming squeeze on health budgets across the UK due to the financial chaos, Mr Drakeford said: ‘It absolutely shocking to me that you think that you can turn up here this afternoon with the mess that your party has made – to the budget of this country, to the reputation of this country around the world.

‘That you promised those people there will be more to come and you think you can turn up here this afternoon and claim some sort of moral high ground?’

The First Minister then angrily flicked a page of the briefing notes in front of him, before adding: ‘What sort of world do you belong in?’

Mr Davies did not let the matter rest after the Senedd session.

He later posted on Twitter: ‘The First Minister can shout all he wants. But he can’t escape the fact.

‘There’s only one of us who has voted to cut an NHS budget. And it’s not me.’

Source: Read Full Article