‘Carwyn and Leanne have missed the boat’ –Tories
whole. There are fears that Welsh exporters, including manufacturing firms and farmers selling lamb and beef to EU countries, would be badly hit if tariffs and non-tariff barriers were imposed on them after the UK left the Single Market.
There are also concerns that foreign investors wanting access to the Single Market will decide to go elsewhere.
Mr Jones has previously asserted that 200,000 Welsh jobs rely on EU trade.
The policy paper is also expected to argue how migration from the EU could be restricted without breaching the freedom of movement principle.
But Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies dismissed the Labour/Plaid Cymru initiative, saying: “After seven months of flip-flopping, dithering and denial, the leftwing political establishment in Wales has clubbed together a late, half-baked plan in the effort to remain relevant and credible – ignoring many of the reasons why people voted to leave the European Union.
“Sadly, this ‘plan’ for Brexit has only sought to appease their own in the Cardiff Bay bubble – lacking serious consensus across the political spectrum and showing a blatant disregard for the wishes of the Welsh public.
“Brexit provides us with numerous opportunities to build a truly global Britain as outlined only last week by the Prime Minister – however, Wales risks behind left behind due to the impotence of the current political leadership of both Labour and Plaid Cymru.
“While Labour and Plaid continue to dream of a Wales administered by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels, Conservatives will continue to work hard to deliver on the will of people, embrace the opportunities across the world and secure the right deal in Europe for Wales and the UK.”
Responding to Mr Davies’ comments, a spokesman for First Minister Carwyn Jones pointed out that the Tory Assembly leader had yet to read the White Paper.
The spokesman said: “This is a nonsense from the Tories and simply highlights their own impotence and poverty of ideas. As of today the Welsh Government and others will have published more than the UK Government when it comes to proper analysis of what a successful Brexit would look like.
“The Brexit journey has a long way to run, and today’s contribution is an evidence-based, coherent proposal to find a solution which works best for Wales and which could be accepted as credible and workable by the 27 member states of the EU.
“We have fundamentally accepted the referendum result from day one, but that doesn’t mean we should shirk from our own democratic mandate – to create a Wales that is fair and prosperous.
“That’s what’s at the heart of our proposals launched today and, as promised by the UK Government, we expect this paper to be given full consideration in Whitehall.
“The Welsh Conservative view seems to be that we should just let the UK Government get on with it. That makes no sense and completely ignores the fact that the previous and current prime ministers also backed Remain.
“We all have a duty, regardless of our positions pre-referendum, to build the best future for our communities.”
The White Paper is the result of discussions that have taken place since November between Welsh Labour Cabinet Secretary for Finance Mark Drakeford and Plaid Cymru Brexit spokesman Steffan Lewis, a regional AM for South Wales East. Some meetings were also attended by Carwyn Jones and Leanne Wood.
Mr Lewis also rejected the suggestion that the publication of the White Paper came “after the horse had bolted”.
He told us: “We in Plaid were disappointed last autumn when the Labour group voted against a motion we proposed which set out how important it was for Wales that the UK retains membership of the European Single Market.
“But we agreed to hold talks with Labout to see if we could reach an agreed position on Brexit that would benefit Wales.
“I’m very pleased we reached agreement and that I was able to recommend to Leanne and the Plaid
group that we should support the White Paper.
“It’s setting out ideas that are important for the future prosperity of Wales, but also for the UK as a whole.
“I completely reject the idea that our intervention is too late. Last week’s speech by Theresa May was, so far as we are concerned, the start rather than the end of the debate on the UK’s negotiating stance.
“It’s been accepted that there will be debates in Parliament in advance of the triggering of Article 50. The Conservatives have a small minority in the Commons and should not assume they can just press ahead with hard Brexit.”
Mr Lewis said he was convinced that Mrs May had found it possible to appease the right wing of her own party with a hard Brexit posture because of the weakness of Labour’s opposition at Westminster.
He said: “In contrast to the weak display of Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, Plaid Cymru has acted as an effective opposition and has been happy to work with the Welsh Government in devising a robust Brexit plan aimed at protecting the Welsh national interest.
“At Westminster, Labour tabled 170 parliamentary questions on Brexit, but has offered no solutions. I would suggest to both UK Labour and the Welsh Conservatives that they put forward Brexit plans of their own instead of carping from the sidelines.”