As the First Minister told the External Affairs Committee on Monday “the issue of whether we should be part of the EU has been decided”.
“Brexit” must now be championed as an opportunity to boost trade, industry, employment, agriculture and fishing but this will only happen if we grasp the nettle.
I therefore move amendment 1 which ‘recognises the outcome of the referendum on 23 June and calls on the Welsh Government to engage positively with the UK and other devolved governments in securing the best possible outcome for Wales during the forthcoming negotiations.'
The First Minister’s warning in America of impending constitutional crisis and risk of economic harm were an object lesson in how not to sell Wales to the World.
He did also state that Wales remains “open for business” – but the determined message from now on must be that Wales after Brexit will be a great place to invest and do business.
Two months ago the UK Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union announced that the UK already had ten post-Brexit trade deals lined up.
Because the UK has outsourced trade powers to Brussels for 43 years, the UK Government is now beefing up its team of trade negotiators, and other expert staff.
At this month’s G20 summit, the Prime Minister set out her ambition for the UK to become a global leader in free trade as a bold, confident outward looking State.
The leaders of India, Mexico, South Korea and Singapore said that they would welcome talks to remove the barriers to trade between our countries.
And the Australian Trade Minister visited the UK last week for exploratory discussion on the shape of a UK-Australia trade deal.
Statements by the First Minister in the External Affairs Committee and Plenary rejecting engagement in pre trade agreement discussions and disparaging UK trade negotiators therefore risk Wales missing out.
AND evidence that the First Minister only met nine businesses during the 4 months between the date the referendum was called and polling day added to concern that the Welsh Government did not undertake detailed planning for the eventuality that the people would vote leave.
Although Wales had a trade surplus with the EU last year, this month’s export figures show that the value of Welsh Exports to EU countries fell by £586 million, almost 11%, as exports to non-EU countries increased.
Exports of UK goods and services to the EU have fallen from 54% to 44% of the total over the last decade.
In 2014, the share of UK goods exports going to countries outside the EU was higher than every other EU member state bar Malta.
Since 2014, Welsh exports to the EU have fallen from 44% to 39% of total exports.
In the year to June 2016, Welsh exports to the EU fell 6%, as they increased by over 9% in the Asia-Pacific market.
The UK Government’s announcement that all structural and investment projects, including agri-environment schemes, signed before the Autumn statement will be fully funded until 2020 is welcomed, as is guaranteed payments for Universities participating in Horizon 2020, even when projects continue beyond EU exit.
The Treasury also announced that further details of guaranteed funding arrangements for specific structural and investment fund projects signed after the Autumn Statement will be provided before the Autumn Statement.
Again, the First Minister’s dismissal of dialogue over this yesterday risks Wales missing out.
As the FUW president said after the FUW met the Minister of State for Exiting the EU, “the Chancellor’s statement needs to be localised to a Wales context by the Welsh Government”.
As he has also said “we don’t want to copy just any other trading model. It is critical that we set up a trading model that suits the UK and Welsh agriculture, and now is our chance to do just that. Our current bovine TB status poses a considerable threat in those trade negotiations and that this will have to be solved urgently by the Welsh Government”.
And as the NFU President said “The vote to leave the European Union means that food security must act as the catalyst for a new, bold ambition for Welsh farmers and growers. This is a once in a generation opportunity that NFU Cymru is determined to capitalise on in order to ensure the long term viability and growth of our industry”.
So let us re-engage with the rest of the world and close the prosperity gap between Wales and other European Nations at last.