Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:11 pm on 17 January 2017.
First Minister, I think a clear Brexit was always the most likely outcome, given what people voted for in the referendum, but now what happens afterwards has to be our main focus. Do you agree with me that we should seek arrangements that are based on respect for our EU neighbours? There should be no part of wishing the EU to fail; that will cause huge problems for us directly. A strengthening of the role of the World Trade Organization—I am very concerned that American policy may turn on this issue now, whereas I think much of what people who argued for Brexit predicated their view on was that we would move to World Trade Organization rules, if that was what was required. Finally, the role of NATO—we remember the very successful summit here in Newport—is a way of projecting to the world that Britain still seeks to fulfil its international obligations, and to be a good neighbour.