1. Debate: Brexit and Prorogation of the UK Parliament

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:13 pm on 5 September 2019.

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Photo of Mark Reckless Mark Reckless Conservative 1:13, 5 September 2019

I move amendment 1 in the name of Caroline Jones. May I start by expressing some sympathy for the BBC as they struggle to explain to their listeners and viewers the purpose of our recall today? They say that the debate will have no impact on the Brexit process, but may give an indication of AMs' views. Of course, the First Minister says, 'We will resist this with all our might', but, of course, it is a matter to be determined by Westminster, whatever we say here today.

He says that he wants to send an unambiguous message that Labour and Plaid Cymru adopted a joint motion to send an unambiguous message, but that's not what he's doing. His speech just now was not the same as his motion. His motion says,

'should go back to the electorate in a referendum.'

That is not what he said in his speech or what his Brexit Minister said on Wales Live last night. So, we have seen the development in the Welsh Labour Government's position from supposedly accepting the referendum to promoting a Brexit in name only to saying that there must be another referendum because Wales got it wrong: people should be told to vote again because they know better. But now we're not even doing that. We have in the motion before us today something saying that it needs to go back to the people in a referendum, yet a First Minister who just said just now that isn't the case, he doesn't want a referendum, not going to be any renegotiation. Whatever Corbyn says, the Welsh Government's position is that they want to cancel Brexit without even a second referendum. How much more contempt could you have for your voters than that?

The First Minister didn't say how he was going to vote on Plaid Cymru's amendments. He says they've—[Interruption.] I'm happy to take an intervention if the First Minister wanted. [Interruption.] Is the First Minister intervening? [Interruption.] No, it's—[Interrupion.] That's from a sedentary position, Lee Waters. I give way to the ex-First Minister.