6. Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition: The UK Internal Market Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:46 pm on 15 September 2020.

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Photo of Rhianon Passmore Rhianon Passmore Labour 6:46, 15 September 2020

Thank you very much. Thank you for re-calling me. Let's be frank—the UK Tory Government's internal market Bill is the latest in a long line of totally incomprehensible actions by Boris Johnson and his Government. And I very much welcome today's statement by the Welsh Counsel General and Minister for European Transition. The people of Wales now, more than ever, will need the full functional responsibility and representation of the Welsh Labour Government to argue for our future in the face of continued UK Tory negligence and incompetence. Will the Counsel General reaffirm to my constituents in Islwyn that the Welsh Labour Government will always defend one of the most important principles of international law, and protect the rights of the people of Wales, under hard-won devolution, to continue setting our priorities, undiluted by Westminster? Without respect for the rule of international law, the position and influence of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be greatly reduced in the eyes of the world.

Last night, the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill passed to the next stage. Yet, perversely, the UK Internal Market Bill would stop the EU from so-called blockading food. The Conservative chairman of the Justice Select Committee, Sir Bob Neill, stated strongly that the Bill contains an egregious, needless and potentially damaging clause, which would bring the UK into breach of its international obligations. And for Darren Millar, that is the Conservative chairperson who's put forward that amendment. He proposes removing the clause that would break international law. But outside of this, there remain serious, fundamental flaws to this Bill of democratic, economic and societal harm to Wales. This, Deputy Llywydd, is a bad Bill, and a bad Bill for Wales. The loss of functionality in the Bill is stark. The loss of our current ability to lead the way banning certain plastics and the UK new authority proposed to diminish Welsh, for example, high food-quality standards via a UK priority setting is ever-present in this Bill. But to top it all—