Brexit frustrations laid bare in ‘robust’ talks atWhitehall
REPRESENTATIVES of devolved governments from across the country expressed their frustration at a Whitehall meeting held in the wake of Theresa May’s Brexit speech.
Welsh Government Finance Minister Mark Drakeford described the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee as “robust” and said the administrations wanted “reassurances” their views were shaping the UK Government’s strategy.
Speaking moments after stepping out of the Cabinet Office in London, Mr Drakeford said: “It was a robust meeting. It got off to a start with all three devolved administrations to different extents expressing some of our frustrations that the JMC process is yet to discharge in full the remit that’s been given to it.
“This is the forum in which we as devolved administrations are meant to be able to shape the negotiating position that the UK Government will take once Article 50 is triggered, and we needed reassurances that in turning up here we are not simply expressing our points of view but that those points of view are having a genuine impact on the way that the UK Government is going about its business.”
Mr Drakeford said they were told that Mrs May’s speech on Tuesday “reflected discussions” held at the JMC.
When asked if he thought the devolved governments or internal Conservative politics had the greatest impact on Brexit strategy, he said: “The internal politics of the Conservative Party are very obvious to look at and I’m sure the Prime Minister has to deal with those every day,” adding that the “practical action” is required to demonstrate that the UK Government is “authentically crafting a UK-wide prospectus for these negotiations in which the particular interests of Scotland, Northern Ireland and of Wales are central”.
He made it clear the Welsh Government was not considering pulling out of the JMC process, saying: “I understand the frustrations of some of my colleagues and the very particular circumstances that they face. But I think it is in Wales’ interests that the Welsh Government turns up, lives with some of those frustrations sometimes, but makes it crystalclear where the interests of Wales lie and our expectation that the UK Government will fully reflect those needs and those ambitions in the way that it takes these negotiations forward.”
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the mood at the JMC was “pragmatic” and “practical”. He argued that the free trade deal the UK wants to strike with the EU was consistent with the aspirations of the Welsh Government for unfettered access to the single market.
He said: “I believe that there is a place that we can get to where we can have access to the single market but we can also look to the opportunities that come from elsewhere around the world. So, for example, the American market, the Middle Eastern market, are exceptionally important to the Welsh economy.”
When asked if he expected a second Scottish independence referendum now that Theresa May has stated that the UK will not remain a member of the single market, he said: “I think that the Scottish First Minister has ruled out a referendum in Scotland this year and clearly they will continue on that debate but we’re focused absolutely on making exiting the European Union a great success. There are opportunities that come from it; we want to make sure that we exploit those opportunities positively for the benefit of the Welsh economy to ensure that people in Wales get better-paid jobs, higherquality jobs and we manage to grow the prosperity even further.”
And when asked whether the Welsh steel industry could survive the Brexit process, he said: “The steel industry is in a much stronger position now in Wales than it was earlier this year. That has come about because the UK Government has acted in ensuring that the trade barriers that are brought about act in the interest of Tata, and as we exit the European Union all of these sorts of issues will be at the forefront of our minds.
“We are working to make the whole of the UK economy a success and the steel industry is fundamental as part of that programme.”