Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:52 pm on 23 March 2021.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:52, 23 March 2021

I'm sure there are many answers, because I think the Member is right that anybody sensible would want to reflect on the experience of the last five years. I wish very much that we had persuaded the UK Government to strike a different deal with the European Union as we left it. People in Wales voted to leave the European Union. The Welsh Government was clear from the beginning that we accepted the fact of that, but we wanted to focus on the form of it. We failed to persuade the UK Government of our case, which would have resulted in a far closer economic relationship with our closest and most important market. Right up to the very end, we were unable to persuade the UK Government, in striking its deal with the European Union, to look after the interests of our young people by securing our continued participation in the Erasmus+ programme, a deficit that I'm very proud to say this Welsh Government made good over this weekend, so that young people in Wales will go on having opportunities to work, study and to volunteer abroad, as will young people from the rest of the world be welcome here in Wales.