Welsh Conservative Spokesperson for Europe and North Wales AM Mark Isherwood has stated in the Assembly Chamber this afternoon that it is overwhelmingly in the EU’s interests to agree a friendly UK-EU free trade deal.
Speaking in the Debate on Brexit, Mr Isherwood, who on Monday visited Dublin with the Assembly External Affairs Committee as part of its inquiry into the implications of Brexit for Welsh ports, welcomed the UK Government’s commitment to delivering “not a soft Brexit or a hard Brexit, but an open Brexit, one that ensures that the UK is still turned outwards, and more engaged with the world than ever before”.
Mr Isherwood also restated that the Welsh Conservative want “agreed UK-wide frameworks which respect the devolved settlement as funding schemes and initiatives are returned from the European Union”.
Speaking in the Chamber, he said:
“We celebrate the fact that National Assembly for Wales is the National Parliament of Wales – and I am pleased to moved Amendments 1 and 2: Noting that the UK Government's February 2017 Policy Paper 'The United Kingdom's exit from, and new partnership with, the European Union' states that ‘we have already committed that no decisions currently taken by the devolved administrations will be removed from them and we will use the opportunity of bringing decision making back to the UK to ensure that more decisions are devolved’ and that the Prime Minister has been very clear that she wants a bespoke deal that works for the whole of the UK, embracing the most tariff and barrier-free trade possible with our European neighbours.
He added: “As the Prime Minister said in her January Lancaster House speech: ‘both sides in the referendum campaign made it clear that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote to leave the single market. Instead we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement”.
“More recently, she has also stated “we need to ensure that we get the right trade deal so farmers can continue to export their produce to the EU, but also trade around the rest of the world”. It is this – and not “hard” Brexit - which has been the UK Government’s stated goal throughout.”
“The UK is the EU’s largest export partner, guaranteeing millions of jobs. It is overwhelmingly in the EU’s interests to agree a friendly UK-EU free trade deal.
“The UK is Ireland’s second largest trading partner in terms of value and largest in terms of volume.
“In meetings with Irish Government representatives on Monday, the External Affairs Committee heard that the Common Travel Area issue should be resolved without any real problem and that Brexit would not close the time advantage of using the UK land-bridge to access continental markets.
“As the Foreign Secretary said last weekend “we can and must deliver on the will of the people. We can reflect the mandate of the more than 80% of MPs whose manifestos pledged them to support Brexit”.
“If we get it right (and there is much more goodwill on both sides than you might think), then we can end up with a deep and special partnership with the EU; a strong European Union buttressed by and supporting a strong UK — and still trading and co-operating closely with each other, too”.
“We are going to deliver not a soft Brexit or a hard Brexit — but an open Brexit, one that ensures that the UK is still turned outwards, and more engaged with the world than ever before”.