North Wales Assembly Member and Shadow Secretary for Europe, Mark Isherwood, has this afternoon called 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 Brexit negotiations.
Speaking in today’s Assembly debate on Britain leaving the European Union, Mr Isherwood said “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.”
He said:
“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.”
He added: “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”.
“Let us re-engage with the rest of the world and close the prosperity gap between Wales and other European Nations at last.”