7. 7. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Borrowing and the Economy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:44 pm on 10 May 2017.

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Photo of Andrew RT Davies Andrew RT Davies Conservative 4:44, 10 May 2017

When you look at what is coming from the European Commission, a negotiation is of two parties negotiating to their best advantage. It is a fact that the EU as it currently stands has 27 members in those negotiations. We are on the other side of that table. They are of course going to galvanise around a negotiating position. Who do you want negotiating that strategy on behalf of Britain? Do you want Jeremy Corbyn or do you want Theresa May? Because what the bulk of the people of the United Kingdom and the bulk of the people of Wales are saying is that they have faith in our Prime Minister, Theresa May, to negotiate on behalf of this great country of ours. They have little or no faith in Jeremy Corbyn’s ability to negotiate.

I will make this point again, and if someone wants to rebut it—. I know the finance Minister is a strong supporter of Jeremy Corbyn. Six times yesterday—six times—Jeremy Corbyn was asked to outline what his ultimate position will be in these negotiations, and on six occasions he couldn’t give a response. That was at the launch of the Labour Party conference. Can it be right, with the Counsel General sitting there, with the finance Minister sitting there, with Mike Hedges sitting over there, that Welsh Labour is so happy to airbrush Jeremy Corbyn out of this campaign? Do you believe that Jeremy Corbyn would make a good Prime Minister? Because Carwyn Jones can’t say that in any statement he’s issuing. That’s why this debate today requires the support from Members in this house, so that we can have the strong and stable leadership of the Conservatives in Government after 8 June.