Lib Dem candidate claims passport needed to enter England in independent Wales
A Lib Dem Senedd candidate has claimed that a passport would be needed to cross the border to England if Wales were to become independent.
Rhys Jones, who is standing for the party in Aberconwy, suggested that this is one of the “everyday problems” that independence would create, and said many people “do not think logically” about it.
He told BBC Dros Frecwast that the present “system doesn’t work as it is” but suggested that independence was not the answer.
The candidate argued that a federal UK would give Wales the “best of independence”, without creating a hard border with England.
He said: “Many people do not think logically about Welsh independence. How does an international driver license sound? How about having to show your passport to go to England? These are the everyday problems that welsh independence will give us.
He told BBC Dros Frecwast: “Well, the system doesn’t work as it is, but is independence the answer to everything? I don’t think so.
“Personally, and as a party we believe in federalism, which gives everything that is the best of independence, but keeps us close to our friends.
“Do we want a hard border between England and Wales in the future? Will an international driver’s license be needed to cross the Severn Bridge? Is that the way Plaid Cymru sees an independent Wales?
“I don’t believe that’s very attractive to young people in Wales.”
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Why do the LibDems always talk such rubbish? Do you need a passport to travel between France and Germany?? Or the Republic of Ireland and the North?
Francee and Germany are members of the Shengen(?) area of the EU so don’t need to show passports. Citizens of the Republic of Ireland have not needed a passport to travel to the United Kingdom countries due to the free travel arrangement between the Republic and th UK. The FTA has been in operation from the early part of the 2oth century.
France and Germany are within the Shengen agreement which removes borders within the EU. Ireland has been part of a common travel area with the UK for decades.
The point Rhys is raising is that there are many aspects to being an independent nation-state that are not being talked about and need to have genuine answers before Independence is a reality.
And finally many of the arguments raised by the remain side in the EU referendum were dismissed as rubbish and the latest (fishing in Norwegian water) came home to roost this week.
Can anyone seriously claim that the common travel area arrangement would not continue to apply following independence? No one who is pro-independence would object. So if passports were needed it could only be because the (rump) UK government insisted. Again, why would they do that apart from sheer spite?
If an independent Wales were seeking to be part of the EU then all the problems which face Northern Ireland at present would come into play without the ability to limit access points via the Irish Sea. But in actual fact you have just made Rhys argument for him. The situation you describe would effectively be a federation of two states with a common travel and customs area.. It would be Independence In Name Only as we would still be intrinsically tied to the Westminster government whilst having no say over the rules ie we would repeat the same issues… Read more »
If…
And they wonder why they have never won more than a few seats in Government. Carry.on like this and you will cease to exist as a party.What is it that you don’t understand. Try listening to the people just once and support the votes that they have had the majority in. Not just have a dozen of you thinking you know better than the.people of. Wales and the rest of the Country Your last Leader talked about stopping Brexit the very next day if she won the election Great lot of good it did her She lost her seat. Job… Read more »
It’s true, it’s also true that this isn’t being discussed. The only way an open passport free border could be maintained is if both England and Wales agree to remain in the Common Travel Area and remain outside the EU, something which Plaid are dithering over. A ‘hard border’ and passport controls are discussed in Scotland’s independence debate but not here. Why? Because Plaid think it’ll be easy and all YesCymru are interested in is sticking stickers on lamposts. Independence would also complicate things like car registrations and phone numbers – or would we just go along with what England… Read more »
So he’s suggesting there would be more restrictions travelling from Wales to England than there already is from Ireland to England?
We will have free movement between the two countries in an independence case, or we can always turn off the taps if they don’t want to negotiate…
Just another mis-step in the LIb Dems slow motion self destruction.