Drakeford says election will force UK Government

A COMPROMISE Brexit plan launched earlier this year by the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru could now form the basis of a successful deal with the EU, it has been claimed. Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford, left, says the chances of a soft Brexit, where the UK would retain “unfettered access” to the EU’s Single Market, have increased since the Conservatives lost their majority in the general election. Asked about the implications of the results for the forthcoming Brexit negotiations, Mr Drakeford, the Labour AM for Cardiff West, said: “We are in a very serious situation.

“Ministers like myself who have attended meetings of the Joint Ministerial Council with UK Government ministers have left wondering why the Conservatives weren’t saying anything about their strategy on Brexit. I think the simple fact is that they don’t have a plan.

“All the rhetoric during the election campaign was about shoring up their support in advance of the negotiations, but they will now, in my opinion, have to rethink their position on Brexit.”

Mr Drakeford said he believed the election results offered an opportunity for the White Paper on Brexit published by the Welsh Government in January to come to the fore.

The document, while making it clear that the best solution for Brexit would be for the UK to remain in the Single Market, also suggests what Carwyn Jones has described as a solution to the vexed issue of migration.

Under the arrangements proposed in the White Paper, the UK would be able to refuse to grant residency rights to EU nationals who were without pre-arranged jobs to go to, making it impossible for them to claim state benefits.

Mr Drakeford said: “The proposals set out in our White Paper are being taken seriously at the highest EU levels and by other EU governments.

“The vast majority of people who have concerns about migration are not racists. It is right that action is taken against rogue employers who bring in workers from abroad and pay them less than the minimum wage. Too often freedom of movement has meant freedom to exploit. That must end.

“Up until now Theresa May has said she wants to pursue a hard Brexit, which would be a disaster for the