The First Minister shook with anger as he today launched a stinging attack on the leader of the Welsh Conservatives after his questions over the state of the NHS in Wales.

Labour’s Mark Drakeford was involved in the fiery war of words with the leader of the opposition Andrew RT Davies during a Senedd debate today (October 18).

Mr Davies raised concerns about the long waits for ambulances being endured by patients in Wales and repeatedly asked for the First Minister’s plan to solve the problems.

Mr Drakeford was visibly angry throughout the exchange as he hit out at his opposite number for the ‘mess’ the UK Conservative government had made on health budgets in Wales.

He also decried planned cuts to the NHS and other public services in the wake of the financial turmoil critics say was caused by Prime Minister Liz Truss’s mini-budget.

He said: “It is absolutely shocking to me that you think you can turn up here this afternoon with the mess that your party has made to the budgets of this country, to the reputation of this country around the world.

“Then you promise those people there will be more to come (in cuts) and then claim some sort of moral high ground.

“What sort of world do you belong in?”

Throughout the tirade, the First Minister waved his fingers wildly as the volume of his voice gradually rose to reach a crescendo.

A red-faced Mr Davies gestured back along with Conservative MSs who shouted at the First Minister, until the Speaker intervened.

Earlier in the exchange, Mr Davies had raised the case of Cefn Cribwr resident Ben Symons, aged 22, who was seriously injured playing football but had to wait five hours for an ambulance last weekend.

He then challenged the First Minister with the case of Keith Morris in Merthyr Tydfil which involved a 15-hour wait for an ambulance.

He put the words of Mr Morris’s daughter to the First Minister, saying: “In Wales we are like a third world country when it comes to healthcare. I’m sure Aneurin Bevan (one of the chief architects of the NHS) would be turning in his grave.”

He continued: “You have been responsible for the health service here for 23 years. You voted to cut the health budget here in Wales.

“And you can throw your pen down First Minister, but you are responsible.

“What are you going to do about it?”

Mr Drakeford said ambulance services would continue to struggle after ‘unbelievable’ NHS ‘cuts’ he said were being planned by new UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

He also criticised Mr Davies for supporting Liz Truss to become Prime Minister and demanded he took responsibility for the actions of her government.