Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:36 pm on 14 September 2016.
Yes, we have Aston Martin coming to St Athan, creating 750 jobs. So that’s no small feat, is it? Therefore, I do say that Brexit offers the UK and Wales a great opportunity to boost trade, grow our industry, and increase employment. Once we are released, as well, I think it will increase even further, when we trigger article 50. We firmly believe that we need free trade with the EU, not membership of the single market with all its restrictions. The UK Government need to get on with negotiating our exit from the EU as soon as possible so that we can capitalise on the opportunities that Brexit brings. The Welsh Government must work collaboratively with the UK Government to ensure that Wales’s interests are at the forefront of any Brexit negotiations. We shouldn’t be getting bogged down in discussing which model should be adopted. We simply wish to trade with the EU. We need our image to be one of buoyancy regarding our exit. We need to sell our country and all that it’s worth for all that we have. We need to capitalise on our country and the beauty that it offers and all the trade that we can get from the rest of the world.
We also say that Wales’s exports to the EU only account for 41 per cent of our world exports, and that has been declining over the past four years. So, we must work together—all parties—to provide the best possible solution and outcome for Wales. Our trade deals need to be ambitious, looking at a global market. We don’t need to overburden ourselves with red tape just to maintain access to the single market.