8. Plaid Cymru Debate: 'No Deal' Brexit

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:57 pm on 16 January 2019.

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Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 5:57, 16 January 2019

There's nothing like an approaching deadline to get people together and get minds together in order to find a way through. I am not in favour of deferring the article 50 leaving date because I think that what would happen is, we would simply keep on kicking it down the line and never fulfil the outcome of the referendum in June 2016 in which the people of Wales voted to leave the EU.

Now, I have to say, Plaid Cymru have tabled this motion today, and I understand why they've tabled this motion, because they want us to reject a 'no deal' scenario. But what they did yesterday in voting against the Prime Minister's deal that was before the House of Commons has made a 'no deal' situation all the more likely. So, I think it is a bit strange, really, for people who want to rule out no deal to actually have rejected the Prime Minister's deal at such a late date.

And, of course, what we've seen from the Labour Party is a situation where they don't really have a clear idea of what they want when it comes to leaving the EU. They make lots of noises about what they think that the UK Government should do and make demands of the EU in terms of the arrangements that they want to leave on, but, of course, they are unrealistic demands. [Interruption.] I've taken many interventions already. I do apologise to you. I've got just a few seconds left.

So, we will not be supporting your motion today. We think it's important that the Welsh Government, along with the other devolved Governments, should work closely with the UK Government and co-operate in trying to craft a deal that we can all get behind so that the UK can leave in an orderly way, with a transition period, towards a future trading relationship that will deliver the success that people want of Brexit. And it's upon all of our shoulders to make sure that we work together to achieve those aims.