Wednesday 16 August 2017

Wales has no influence over Brexit .

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has  call for a  Brexit minister to  be appointed to put Wales' interests "at the centre" of negotiations is one that I agree with.
But coming from someone who seems to be sidelined but by his party at Westminster whilst his equivalent Ruth Davidson in Scotland has been feted  at Westminster and even sitting in on Cabinet meetings it seems a bit ridiculous  for him to criticise others.
Mr Davies said the first minister could not handle the "biggest constitutional challenge of our time" alone.
He said the Welsh Government should be reconfigured to give "strong and constructive representation" to UK ministers on EU negotiations.
The Welsh Government said Carwyn Jones was "best placed to lead on Brexit".
Mr Davies pointed to an assembly committee report criticising the Welsh Government for a lack of contact with Irish ministers to discuss the likely impact of Brexit on ports.
He said,
"More than 400 days after Wales voted to leave the EU, Wales remains without a Brexit ministry, unlike its counterparts in Scotland and Westminster,"
"In order to ensure that Wales' national interests stay at the centre of Brexit negotiations, we need a department led by an experienced minister solely dedicated to this process.
"It's a job too big for one man alone and there's a real danger that in trying to juggle domestic issues with the biggest constitutional challenge of our time, the first minister will allow one or both of these responsibilities to flounder.
"A Welsh minister for Brexit could deliver strong and constructive representation to the UK government and facilitate better working with the devolved nations - not barrack idly from the sidelines as the first minister has so far contented himself to do."
A Welsh goverment claimed the "main barrier" to effective joint working was the "unwillingness" of the UK government to call any meetings of the JMC since February or "consult properly with us on key issues".
The spokesman urged Mr Davies to stop "barracking at the Welsh Government from the sidelines" and put pressure on his Conservative colleagues in Westminster to "live up to their undertaking to agree their approach to the Brexit negotiations with the devolved administrations".
With the Conservatives all at sea with their  negotiations calling for a  to establish a "temporary customs union" after it leaves the EU in March 2019. During this period it would also expect to be able to negotiate its own international trade deals, which it cannot currently do as a customs union member.
Labour don't seem to have any real plans of their own , with party leader Jeremy Corbyn favouring Mrs May Hard Brexit, the major parties are leading us down a Blind Alley where the likes of Donald Trump are waiting to mug us.
The Liberal Democrats seem to be relying on a call for a second referendum to stop Brexit altogether and hoping that this will result in a rise in the polls.

Plaid and the SNP may be campaigning for a much softer Brexit with a Custom Union  and Free movement  but unless there's a major break in the Tory and Labour ranks  then the result will be a Hard Brexit  with Europe tiring of the Tories attempt to have their cake it and eat it and saying "there's the door close it after you".

The truth is that we in Wales have no influence on the Tories/Labour Hard Brexit but surely we need leadership in Wales over our future after Brexit and how we can at least lessen the economic catastrophe that awaits us.

For me it will be a speedy move to Independence and Wales alongside Scotland rejoining  the EU.

No comments: