Plaid Cymru calls for single market return after Northern Ireland Protocol breakthrough

Plaid Cymru has welcomed the agreement between the UK and EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol and called for attention to turn now to fixing the “problems caused by Brexit itself.”

The party’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP said that, given that solutions have been found for problems in Northern Ireland, the UK Government should now show the same willingness to find solutions to the economic impact of leaving the EU.

Ms Saville Roberts said that Welsh businesses “look with envy to their counterparts in Northern Ireland”, as they continue to have access to the EU single market, as well as the UK market.

Demons

She said that she feared that “intrinsic demons of Brexit will keep coming back to torment us” unless the UK as a whole rejoined the single market.

“Plaid Cymru welcome today’s announcement. Anything that could bring the return of power-sharing and stability in Stormont a step closer is a welcome move,” Ms Saville Roberts said.

“I sincerely hope that today’s deal eases the tensions that have consumed our politics for too long. However, I fear that it will not secure lasting stability as it only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause of the problem – Brexit itself.

“Solutions have been found to issues in Northern Ireland, yet the UK Government and the opposition bury their heads in the sand when it comes to problems caused by Brexit itself.

“Businesses in Wales are struggling with burdensome red tape and look with envy to their counterparts in Northern Ireland, who have the advantage of access to both the European single market and the UK market.

“With bare supermarket shelves, a sluggish economy and dismal prospects for the future – it is clear that the only long-term solution is for the UK as a whole to rejoin the single market. Otherwise I fear that the intrinsic demons of Brexit will keep coming back to torment us.”