Speaking in today’s Assembly Debate on ‘the EU Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration’, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood AM criticised Labour MPs in North Wales for saying that they will vote against the Withdrawal Agreement because the UK would remain subject to EU rules for a period beyond our membership.
Mr Isherwood, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, said it is regrettable that some on both sides of the debate are promoting worst case scenarios rather than reflecting upon the potential of the Withdrawal agreement to deliver the referendum result, and said instead of rejecting the deal they should be working towards building “an outward looking Wales within a Global UK.”
He said:
“The Prime Minister has the horrendous task of reconciling many conflicting opinions and priorities, whilst also seeking to honour the Referendum result, deliver a 'new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement’, protect people’s jobs and security, and maintain the integrity of our United Kingdom. As the UK international Trade Secretary stated this summer “there had to be compromises, but Brexit had been backed by 17.4 million, and legislation implementing that decision had been approved by MPs”.
“It is regrettable that some on both sides of the debate are now promoting worst case scenarios - rather than reflecting upon the potential of the Withdrawal agreement to deliver the referendum result and take back control of our borders, laws, money and bilateral trade, whilst also delivering a mutually beneficial future relationship with the EU.
He added:
“The UK and EU agreed the transition period that will lead to the "orderly withdrawal" of the UK in March.
“In May, UK Ministers accepted that once the future relationship with the EU has then been agreed, there would have to be an extended period of customs union membership for the whole UK while technology is developed to monitor the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland without imposing more permanent structures.
“Some are therefore using what was agreed and accepted 7 and 8 months ago as an excuse for opposing the Withdrawal Agreement now.
“The legal text is clear that both parties want to avoid the use of the backstop and that Article 50 cannot establish a permanent relationship - and the EU themselves have made it very clear that they do not want a post-Brexit UK to remain in extended Customs Union and Single Market membership.
“However, we now see the grotesque chaos of Labour MPs in North Wales saying that they will vote against the Withdrawal Agreement because the UK would remain subject to EU rules for a period beyond our membership – when, from the outset, Welsh Labour’s joint ‘Brexit’ White Paper with Plaid Cymru called for the UK to remain subject to these rules forever.
“Wales voted to leave the European Union, not the United Kingdom, yet Plaid Cymru tries to keep Wales in the EU, and drag it out of the UK – despite the UK being Wales’ biggest single market by far.
Mr Isherwood noted that UK funding to the EU is double the funding it receives back and stated that “This will in future be retained in the UK and we all recognise that Wales should then receive the same quantum of funding as now”.
He said: “Speaking after meeting the Prime Minister at last week’s RWS Winter Fair, NFU Cymru President said “During this positive meeting, I commended the fact that the deal she has agreed is as close as possible to the free and frictionless trade conditions for agricultural and food products that we have been lobbying for over the past couple of years”.
“The UK can also negotiate trade agreements with 3rd countries, ready for implementation after the transition period – and at the G20 Summit last week the Prime Minister discussed trade with a number of countries, with Japan looking forward to being able to discuss the UK’s possible membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“Instead of rejecting this deal, creating uncertainty and damaging jobs and investment, let us therefore build towards an outward looking Wales within a Global UK.”
