8. 8. Plaid Cymru Debate: Brexit and the National Assembly for Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:58 pm on 21 June 2017.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Neil Hamilton Mr Neil Hamilton UKIP 4:58, 21 June 2017

I don’t think I’ve got time, I’m sorry. The great opportunity that lies for us in being outside the customs union is that we can enter into trade agreements with the major players in the world. It is difficult; it takes time, obviously, to enter into free trade agreements. We don’t have that possibility when the details of those agreements have to be agreed with 27 other member states, which is why the EU has been incapable of entering into these. Canada is coming up but how long has it taken to negotiate that? There is now not going to be a trade deal with the United States, but we can agree one. The United States is vastly important to the Welsh economy because they’re our biggest single national export destination. So, this is the freedom that we have as a result of being outside the EU.

I’m surprised that Plaid Cymru continues to fight this battle, which was lost a year ago. Yes, of course the British Government should talk meaningfully on a regular basis to the Welsh Government, but if all the First Minister does is to carry on banging on about something that the British Government is never going to agree to, what is the point of those discussions? If you want to succeed, go with the grain and not against it. I’ve urged him therefore to involve Andrew R.T. Davies and myself in a common approach to the United Kingdom Government, because, after all, this is a battle that we have fought and won. I’ve been fighting this battle since before most of the Members opposite there were born, having joined the Anti-Common Market League in 1967. And, of course, I want the outcome for Wales that they want, but at least the method that I employ is one that has a ghost of a chance of success, whereas theirs has none whatsoever.