FIRST Minister Carwyn Jones has accused the UK Government of being “anti-Wales” following the revelation Westminster has received legal advice saying it has “a weak case” for imposing the unpopular Trade Union Bill on Wales.

Yesterday a letter by Tory minister Nick Boles, in which he said legal advice the UK Government had received into its ability on imposing the bill outside England found it had “a strong case that these provisions are reserved in relation to Scotland, but a very weak case in relation to Wales”, was leaked to the Socialist Worker.

Speaking in the Senedd earlier today, the First Minister said he strongly believed the bill could not be imposed on Wales as it affects devolved public services.

“It is concerning that they (the UK Government) can only see Wales through the prism of Scotland,” he said.

“Somehow you can’t give something to Wales unless it’s also on offer to Scotland – it doesn’t work the other way round.

“It does show you how anti-Wales the UK Government is.”

Opponents to the bill, which will stop unions from calling strikes without support from at least 40 per cent of its membership and double the current notice period for industrial action from seven days to 14, have claimed it will undermine the rights of workers to take action against their employers and last month AMs passed a motion demanding the UK Government go back to the drawing board over the plans.

The Labour First Minister was responding to an urgent question tabled by Pontypridd AM Mick Antoniw, who said he was seriously concerned about the implications of Westminster’s attempt to enforce the bill across the entire UK on Wales’ devolution agreement.

“It would be a devastating blow to the protocols agreed between the Welsh Government and the UK Government in respect of the devolution settlement,” he said. “It blows it out of the water.

“Can I ask that, because of the seriousness of these issues, that you will raise this matter directly with the Prime Minister because the danger is the constitutional settlement between us is not only off the road, it is in serious risk of meltdown.

“This has serious risk for the future relationship of Wales and the UK.”

Mr Jones also said he and his Labour colleagues would continue to work to block the bill from being enforced in Wales.

“Isn’t it incredible the chutzpah that is displayed by the UK Government, where they claim this is a clearly devolved matter when the legal advice they themselves have received is exactly the opposite,” he said.

The bill, which will also allow employers to replace striking workers with agency workers, has already passed through Parliament and is currently being considered by the House of Lords.