OPPOSITION leaders in the Senedd reacted with fury today to what they called the Welsh government’s plans with other devolved leaders to break up the United Kingdom.

Reform UK’s Helen Jenner said: “Despite you repeatedly saying that the [Senedd] election was not about seeking independence, you met with the leaders of Sinn Fein and the SNP to discuss plans to break up the UK.

“This is an act for which you have no mandate” Ms Jenner said, and wanted to know whether the First Minister had knowingly misled the public despite him recently supporting a law to make it an offence.

FM Rhun ap Iorwerth said he had a mandate to pursue what was best for Wales.

“When I get together with like-minded leaders throughout these islands, looking at how we can work together, I think that that is absolutely standing up for Wales.

“I believe that this isn’t as good as things can get for Wales,” the FM said and asked if Westminster was working particularly well for Wales.

He hit out at Reform UK, saying the party was always talking Wales down and claiming that Wales could not run services itself.

Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates also hit out at the memorandum of understanding, which he called “a memorandum of disunity” that will only please people like US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar said he had read the declaration signed today and there was no mention of the health service or education system.

“Why don’t you co-operate on the things for which you’re already responsible instead of grandstanding over the constitution of the UK,” Mr Millar said.

The FM asked when we will see a change in the Tories “whingeing that we always hear from their benches on these matters.”

Mr ap Iorwerth also gave a statement in the Senedd on the wildfires that had blazed across Wales during the summer.

The FM thanked the emergency services for their responses and promised to learn lessons.

“In an emergency, government must act quickly, calmly and decisively, and that is what we did,” he said.

The FM also said that he had convened a Wales Climate Change and Resilience Summit on October 22, focusing on wildfires and practical action.

The summit had been requested by the Fire Brigades Union during the summer.