North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood yesterday called on the Welsh Government to listen to the wishes of Welsh Businesses who want an end to the Brexit uncertainty.
Questioning the Welsh Government’s Counsel General and Brexit Minister in the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood, said that dragging the Brexit process out for months more as parties seek to renegotiate and hold further referendums is not what they want.
He said:
“In September, the CBI Director General, Carolyn Fairbairn, said: ‘So many businesses here in Wales are full of optimism and enthusiasm. They want to be talking about - and acting on - Welsh strengths. To signal that Wales is open for business. But desperately want to put an end to uncertainty.'
“Quoting businesses in North Wales at the start of October, the Daily Post said: ‘Uncertainty fuels uncertainty. We need an end to all Brexit uncertainty.'
“In mid October, the Chair of Ocado and the former Marks and Spencer boss, Stuart Rose, said he now supports the new UK Government deal, saying he was involved in the original 'Remain' campaign, but he's also a realist, and he said he hoped he's a pragmatist and a respecter of the democratic process. And, finally, the chief economist and strategist at City investment firm Schroders said passing the new deal could unlock ‘stronger growth’ in the economy: 'if the deal passes through Parliament on Saturday', which it didn't, ‘we should see stronger growth in the UK economy as the cloud of Brexit uncertainty lifts'.
“What action are you taking to listen to industry and business, whose key concern is that lack of certainty, and to avoid, therefore, dragging this out for months more as parties seek to renegotiate, re-referendum or what have you? The future growth of the Welsh economy and the well-being of employment and people in Wales depends on that certainty, as articulated so effectively by business. Uncertainty needs to end”.
In his response, the Brexit Minister insisted that the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal is a bad one.
Mr Isherwood added: “This Labour Welsh Government persists in its refusal to represent the repeatedly expressed wishes of the people of Wales by continuing in its attempts to delay and sabotage Brexit, regardless of the damage to economy, business and jobs created by the uncertainty they are seeking to prolong. As the Prime Minister has said, ‘we’ve spent far too long going nowhere, spinning round in a hamster wheel of doom’ and nowhere does this apply more than in the Senedd“.
