Speaking in the Assembly Chamber this afternoon, Welsh Conservative Spokesperson for Europe, Mark Isherwood AM, has highlighted the opportunities which leaving the European Union will create for Wales.
During a Debate on Membership of the EU Single Market, Mr Isherwood, called for the National Assembly for Wales to welcome the Prime Minister’s intention to build a powerful new relationship with the EU that works for the United Kingdom and Wales, and to recognise the importance of trade with Europe and the rest of the world, which is vital to the future of the Welsh economy.
He said:
“We also propose that the National Assembly for Wales welcomes the UK Government's commitment to secure a strong trading relationship which provides British companies with the freedom to trade and operate in the Single Market and that reciprocal arrangements should be extended to EU businesses trading and operating in the UK.
“As Teresa May states “We will decide for ourselves how we control immigration and we will be free to pass our own laws. We want to give UK companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the Single Market – and let European businesses do the same here”.
“Some warned of dire consequences and instant recession for the UK economy if the people voted to leave the EU last June. Instead the UK was the fastest growing G7 economy in 2016. Global businesses like Google and Nissan have said they will be creating new jobs in Britain. The UK’s manufacturing sector grew at its fastest rate for over two and a half years. UK employment is at a record high. The UK construction sector grew at its fastest rate in almost a year and the UK’s services sector grew at its fastest rate in 17 months.
“Countries around the world, like China and Australia, are exploring how to do more trade with us after we leave the EU and yesterday we heard from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair that a US-UK trade deal would be a priority.
“The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement showed an £11.6 bn saving in net contribution in 2019-20 once we were out of the EU.
“A new Civitas study has found that although the UK Government would need to provide almost £9 billion in support for businesses to cope with the impact of failing to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, the cost would be covered by tariffs on corresponding exports from the remaining 27 EU members to the UK.
“This is a stark reminder to EU leaders of the need to enter Brexit negotiations with the aim of achieving an outcome which benefits everyone.
“As the NFU Vice President said on Anglesey last Thursday ‘we are going to leave the EU and we must unite and move on – we must see this as an opportunity rather than a threat’.
“When people voted in the Referendum on June 23, yes, they voted to leave the EU, but they also voted for change, and this year, 2017, is the year where we start to make that happen”.