Prime Minister in Wales today on Brexit tour
EXACTLY one year ahead of the day the UK is due to leave the EU, Theresa May is visiting all four home nations to bring a positive message about Brexit.
The Prime Minister will visit Barry this afternoon for a roundtable discussion with Welsh businesses.
She will be seeking to persuade those she meets that, regardless of whether they backed Leave or Remain, what is important now is making Brexit a success for everyone.
Kicking off in Scotland, Mrs May will visit textile workers at a factory in Ayrshire, before travelling to Newcastle to meet with a local parent and toddler group. She will have lunch with farmers near Belfast before travelling to Barry.
She will finish the day in West London where she will have tea with a group of Polish citizens who have made the UK their home.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Mrs May said: “Today, one year until the UK leaves the EU and begins to chart a new course in the world, I am visiting all four nations of the Union to hear from people across our country what Brexit means to them.
“I am determined that as we leave the EU, and in the years ahead, we will strengthen the bonds that unite us, because ours is the world’s most successful union.
“The UK contains four proud and historic nations, but together we amount to so much more than the sum of our parts and our Union is an enormous force for good.”
She claimed that on the global stage,
the UK stands up for liberal and democratic values and leads the world in international development action.
Mrs May said: “As we leave the EU, powers will return from Brussels to the parliaments and assemblies of the UK, closer to the people we all serve and with greater ability to deliver for their needs.
“Each of the devolved nations will see an increase in their decision-making powers. Make no mistake, this government is absolutely committed to the devolution settlements as we have demonstrated beyond question with landmark pieces of legislation over the last few years.
“But as the Prime Minister of the UK, I have an absolute responsibility to protect the integrity of the UK as a whole. That means ensuring that no new barriers are created within our common domestic market and that the UK is able to meet its international obligations in the future.
“No Prime Minister could leave these things to chance, because they are absolutely crucial to our success as a country in the future.”
“I am determined that our future will be a bright one. It’s a future in which we trade freely with friends and partners across Europe and beyond. Having regained control of our laws, our borders and our money, and seized the opportunities provided by Brexit, the UK will thrive as a strong and united country that works for everyone, no matter whether you voted Leave or Remain.”