Welsh first minister defends trip to World Cup in Qatar

Mark Drakeford insists people of Wales would want nation's leader to attend despite controversies

The Welsh first minister has defended his decision to travel to Qatar for the World Cup, saying he feels that the citizens of Wales want their country's leader there despite concerns about human rights and working conditions.

Speaking in Doha on Sunday, Mark Drakeford admitted that the decision to attend was finely balanced but he said he believed it would have been wrong to leave seats allocated to the Welsh government at the opening ceremony and matches unoccupied.