6. Statement by the Minister for Economy: Wales and Europe — Managing a new relationship

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:09 pm on 1 February 2022.

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Photo of Rhianon Passmore Rhianon Passmore Labour 5:09, 1 February 2022

Thank you, Minister, for an important update to the Senedd. I very much welcome the experience and expertise that Derek Vaughan will bring to this role. As you rightly state, it's imperative that we do all that we can to maintain and foster that excellent working relationship between Wales and the European Union, and that we do continue to seek proper inter-governmental relations and working with the UK Government. But it is a fact that the UK Tory Government pledged in it's election manifesto in 2019 that a new shared prosperity fund would at a minimum match the £1.5 billion a year in EU regional funds that was returned to the UK in its EU membership commitment. Indeed, the Welsh Tory promise, 'not a penny less', rang like a weak and wobbly male voice choir around this Senedd Chamber. However, the truth is the Welsh Government has calculated that Wales will be close to £1 billion worse off over the next three years. The question to be put is: how does this leave Wales not a penny worse off? The levelling-up UK Tory Government department itself has confirmed that the UK Government's spending would not match the £1.5 billion average EU payments until 2024-25. We know that Tory MPs in red wall seats and the so-called red wall voters who voted Tory in 2019 feel betrayed. So, Minister, how can the Welsh Government keep the UK Tory Government to their promises, their pledges to the people of Wales, when again and again, time after time, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson and his millionaire Cabinet believe they can continually take us all for fools?