Speaking in today’s Welsh Conservative debate on Departure from the European Union, on the 5th anniversary since the people of Wales voted to leave the EU, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has called on Welsh Government Ministers in Cardiff Bay to ensure Wales is at the front of the queue to capitalise on the numerous opportunities created for Welsh businesses by new trade deals.
Mr Isherwood said despite the unprecedented circumstances created by the pandemic, “much has been achieved” in the five years since the vote, with many opportunities created for Welsh businesses.
He said:
“Today, 5 years exactly since the people of Wales voted to leave the EU, an outward-looking, Global Britain is able to strike trade deals with new markets as a liberal, free trading, force for good in the World.
“Much has been achieved, especially given the unprecedented circumstances created by the Pandemic and constant sniping from those who, for once, didn’t get their own way.
“Since Brexit, our Global UK has signed deals covering 67 countries and the EU, and is making good progress with other friends and allies, including New Zealand, Australia and the US.
“Last week’s historic free trade deal with Australia will create new opportunities for UK businesses and consumers: - Removing all tariffs on British goods, making it cheaper to sell products like cars, whisky and ceramics into Australia; Slashing red tape for thousands of small businesses; Making it easier to travel and work, especially for young people.
“Farmers will be protected by a cap on tariff-free imports for 15 years and agricultural producers will also be supported to increase their exports overseas. As NFU Cymru Clwyd told me last Friday, trade liberalisation is good, but, as they also stated, they need fair play on hygiene and welfare standards. They added that they need farm support schemes from the Welsh Government ‘that are serviceable, workable and affordable’.”
He added:
“Yesterday, the UK Government launched negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a £1 trillion free-trading area, home to 500 million people, which will open up new opportunities for British businesses in the world’s fastest growing markets. Rather than whinging and wailing, sneering and scaremongering, it’s vital Labour Welsh Government Ministers in Cardiff Bay now ensure Wales is at the front of the queue to capitalise on the numerous opportunities created for Welsh businesses by these new trade deals, which will allow us to build back better after the pandemic.
“As I said here last December “Experts say the post-Brexit trade deal will help the economy bounce back in 2021 after a bleak year dominated by the coronavirus crisis’.
“Two months ago, Irish Sea Ferry operator Stena Line, said freight traffic is on the up at its ports in Holyhead and Fishguard following a dip after Brexit. A CBI forecast last Friday stated that the UK economy will expand by 8.2% this year and 6.1% next year, outpacing all the UK’s major competitors and taking the economy back to pre-pandemic levels of activity by the end of the year.
“Partisan hype about the UK Internal Market Act is opportunistic nonsense. In reality, at the time of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, the UK Government agreed that UK-wide Frameworks to replace the EU rulebook will be freely negotiated between the 4 UK Governments in areas such as food, animal welfare and the environment, setting standards below which none can fall, with the existing common arrangements maintained until these are agreed. AND, in a Statement on the UK Government’s latest report on Common Frameworks earlier this month, the Welsh Government states ‘The report outlines continued positive work on Common Frameworks’.”
Mr Isherwood also shot down claims by “the reactionaries opposite” that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will leave Wales worse off.
He said: “They choose to ignore repeated statements by UK Government Ministers that the amount of money that is going to be spent in Wales when the Shared Prosperity Fund comes in will be identical to or higher than the amount of money that was spent in Wales that came from the European Union, underpinned by the ‘not-a-penny-less guarantee’.