Shadow Minister for Europe Mark Isherwood AM has criticised the First Minister following his Statement ‘Update on Brexit Negotiations’ in the Assembly Chamber yesterday, for “spewing forth his recycled doom and gloom on this issue at every opportunity”.
Mr Isherwood, Assembly Member for North Wales, who has long been calling on the First Minister to end his prophecies of doom and gloom over Brexit and provide the people of Wales with the words of confidence and optimism needed to lead the country to success, was disappointed that the First Minister’s Statement this week was again negative.
Responding in the Assembly Chamber, he said:
“You referred to the Joint Ministerial Committee (European negotiations) on 16 October, attended by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. The joint communiqué issued following that meeting concluded that ‘Ministers noted the positive progress being made on consideration of common frameworks’.
“Should we therefore not be celebrating the fact that, as this said, agreement has been reached between the UK Government and devolved administrations on the principles that will underpin the process of bringing back powers from the EU to the UK, and underpin the development of common UK frameworks jointly between the four UK administrations, where co-operation and common standards are needed when EU frameworks cease to apply in the UK?
“You referred to the European Council meeting last week. Why will you not acknowledge that the two sides - I don’t like using ‘sides’, because, of course, we’re all friends and neighbours - are now within touching distance of a deal on citizens’ rights, that they agree there must be no physical infrastructure on the Irish border and that the common travel area must continue, and that the Prime Minister’s Florence speech has given further impetus to discussions over the financial settlement and implementation period?
“Is it not the case that, following last week’s European Council meeting, the European Council President, Donald Tusk, said, quote, ‘Reports that Brexit talks between Britain and the EU are deadlocked have been "exaggerated"’.
“Is it not the case that leaders of the remaining 27 EU member states told the UK there had been progress in talks, and that they have given the green light for preparations to begin for the second phase of Brexit talks, dealing with trade, paving the way for the possible start of formal talks on the future EU-UK trade relationship in December? Is it not a fact that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, following those talks, said there are hopeful signs that they will plan for a December start to trade discussions with Britain, and she said ‘we are going to achieve a good result, there will be a good outcome’? Why can’t you join that positive approach if you want a good outcome?
“Because your repeated diatribes on this issue keep fighting the messages of the referendum, despite your claim to accept them, allying yourself with the rabble opposite in opposing everything to do with this.”
Speaking outside the Chamber, Mr Isherwood added:
“This First Minister is like a stuck record, spewing forth his recycled doom and gloom on this issue at every opportunity. He conveniently ignores the latest quarterly Survey of Finance Officers, which found that the proportion rating high levels of uncertainty has almost halved since the Brexit vote and that optimism about company prospects has increased, he ignores the discussions already ongoing with future trade deal partners across the globe and he ignores the draft paper prepared by the Foreign Ministry in Berlin which states that Germany is working on proposals for the EU’s future relations with the UK that include calls for a ‘comprehensive free-trade accord’ and ‘close partnership’.”