THE 'muscular unionism' of the UK Government under Boris Johnson has come under fire from Wales' first minister.

Mark Drakeford was speaking at the coronavirus update briefing earlier today.

He said that such practice was "bad for the UK".

"The Welsh Government believes that Wales is better off in the UK, and the UK is better off with Wales in it," he said.

"Continual raids on the powers of the Senedd is not the way to persuade people that the UK is a deal they want to sign up to."

Mr Drakeford came onto the subject of the union and the way it is being handled by Boris Johnson and his government after having spoken about the way in which coronavirus restrictions had been abandonded across the border.

"The UK Government has, in a cliff-edge way, dismantled its testing," he said.

Mr Drakeford said that his government's approach "is consistent with the step-by-step way we have gone about dealing with coronavirus over the past two years".

"I think our way of doing things has succeeded," he said. "I don't intend to throw all that away in what we hope will be the final stages."

In Wales, Mr Drakeford said, coronavirus restrictions enshrined in law may be relaxed on March 28.

"We are able to think about moving beyond the emegency response to the pandemic," he said.

"This does not mean the pandemic is over. But we can think now about how we can live safely with the virus as we do with other illnesses.

"A plan published today has set out how we can do this. If the public health position remains favouable we will start be removing the legal underpinning of regulations we have been living under."

"From the March 28 the legal requirement to wear face coverings will end," he said.

Mr Drakeford stressed that the way we have been living should not change too much, and that people should still self-isolate if they test positive for example.

Guidance will also remain for the wearing of face coverings in places such as healthcare settings.