FIRST Minister Carwyn Jones and UKIP leader Nigel Farage locked horns in a bad-tempered debate on the UK’s membership of the EU.

The two clashed over issues including farming, jobs, the economy and the steel industry in a debate at Cardiff’s Millennium Centre on Monday nightj.

In his opening remarks the UKIP leader – a controversial figure among many for his views on immigration – said he believed the crux of the matter was whether the UK was free to make its own laws.

“I believe we are big enough and strong enough to make our own laws and I want you to grab this opportunity to take back control of our own lives,” he said.

But Mr Jones said leaving the EU would have “devastating consequences” for the UK.

“I will never advocate giving up and walking away,” he said. “There’s a saying - decisions are made by those who turn up.”

The debate, which was arranged by the Institute of Welsh Affairs and Cardiff University, proved fiery, with Mr Jones often struggling to get a word in edgeways while Mr Farage – much more used to debating the issue of the EU – often talked over him, despite the valiant attempts of chairman Adrian Masters of ITV Wales.

The audience seemed largely won over by the UKIP leader, with many of his comments met with enthusiastic applause and cheers, while response to the First Minister was much more muted.

Among issues the two clashed over were the economic benefits to Wales and the UK of being part of the EU, with Mr Jones saying leaving the union would be extremely damaging for the country.

“The EU is one of the world’s biggest markets,” he said. “Why on Earth would we want to take that away?”

But Mr Farage accused the First Minister of “scaremongering” over his claims jobs would be lost if the UK left the EU and jabbed him with a dig at his battle to get more powers devolved to Wales, saying: “If we haven’t got powers in Westminster we can’t devolve them to Wales.”

The pair also clashed over the embattled steel industry, with Mr Jones’ claims the problem had “nothing to do” with the EU met with derisive laughs from the audience.

Mr Farage took the opportunity to claim if the UK was not part of the EU the Welsh Government would have had more powers to protect the industry.

Although the debate was fairly light on the controversial topic of immigration, tempers flared when it was discussed, with Mr Farage saying he wanted greater powers to stop potential terrorists entering the country.

But Mr Jones disagreed, saying only by working through the EU could the UK solve the immigration crisis.

“We can’t just sit behind a fence and wait for it to go away,” he said.

Closing the debate Mr Farage said leaving the EU would mean the UK had more power over its own laws, to enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The First Minister replied leaving the union was “the worst possible scenario”.

“We want to be on the pitch, not in the crowd shouting,” he said.

As the two opponents left through separate doors, the prevailing feeling in the Millennium Centre was Mr Farage had the support of this audience.

Time will tell if this translates at the ballot box.