Devolution settlement for Wales a 'rusty old banger'

The new devolution settlement offered by the UK government is a "rusty old banger" dressed up like a "flashy new car", the first minister has said.

Carwyn Jones was responding to a claim by Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb that arguments about the constitution could harm the economy.

It comes after Mr Crabb published proposals for the next stage of devolution in the .

Mr Jones said Mr Crabb was the one "banging on" about the constitution.

In a speech in Cardiff on Thursday, Mr Crabb attacked the Welsh government for failing to make progress on the M4 relief road and rail electrification in the south Wales valleys.

Image caption, Stephen Crabb said he wants politicians to focus on prosperity, not the 'finer points' of devolution

But Mr Jones told 大象传媒 Wales: "The one banging on about the constitution is him - I haven't mentioned it once.

"What he has to realise is that what he's produced is a rusty old banger, given it a paint job and then tried to pretend it's a flashy new car. That's not what the people of Wales want."

He said the Wales Bill was "so unstable, potentially we will be talking about the constitution forever and a day".

The M4 relief road cannot be built faster, he said, because there is a legal process to follow and some Conservative AMs were opposed to the project.

Delays to rail electrification were the fault of the UK government, he added.