Plaid Cymru calls for UK to rejoin the single market
Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams has marked the third anniversary of the UK’s departure from the EU by renewing calls to re-join the single market, describing the case for doing so as ‘undeniable’.
Mr Williams, the party’s international affairs spokesperson, also criticised the Conservative and Labour parties for not acknowledging that Brexit is “making us poorer”.
The Arfon MP pointed out that 730 jobs are being lost in neighbouring constituency Ynys Môn due to Brexit.
The 2 Sisters Group said last week that Brexit was a contributing factor in their decision to close their Llangefni plant.
He also pointed to OBR data showing that trade with the EU is down 15% and productivity expected to be down 4%. He also referred to Nuffield Trust data showing that more than 4,000 European doctors have opted not to work in the NHS following the Brexit vote in 2016.
Following the publication of a poll undertaken by Focaldata yesterday ( 30 January), Mr Williams also pointed out that in every single Welsh constituency, more people agree with the statement that ‘Britain was wrong to leave the EU’ than disagree.
Economic harm
“Three years on since leaving the European Union, and the economic harm is beyond doubt. None of the Westminster parties will tell the truth – Brexit is causing untold damage to our economy,” Mr Williams said.
“Promises made in 2016 turned out to be wildly optimistic at best, plain lies at worst. And people are increasingly aware of that damage.
“A new poll shows that in every single Welsh constituency – more people agree with the statement that Britain was wrong to leave the EU than disagree. That is, people now believe Brexit to have been a mistake.
“Who can blame them? Trade with the EU is down 15%, productivity is down 4% and more than 4,000 European doctors have left the NHS since Brexit.
“Numbers sometimes feel abstract. But we’re seeing the impact first hand in north Wales – with the 2 Sisters factory in Ynys Môn directly attributing 730 job losses to problems caused by Brexit. Boosterism does not change economic facts.
“Compare with Northern Ireland – which remains in the single market for goods thanks to the protocol. Its economy is vastly outpacing Brexit Britain.
“It is time for the Conservatives and Labour to acknowledge that being outside the world’s largest trade bloc is making us poorer.
“A pragmatic pro-European economic and trade position is needed now more than ever – and polls suggest the public agree.
“Plaid Cymru believe in honest politics – that’s why we say clearly that re-joining the single market and customs union is undeniably in interests of our economy in Wales – and across Britain.”
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Nathan Gill and his fellow traitors Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe!
The image of those 3 in the European Parliament jumped into my mind reading the above and the shame of Wales being a part of such evil stupidity has made me feel sick to my stomach…
Rejoining the EU would give us unrestricted trade and access to funding, by remaining in the UK, we suffer things like the HS2 funding model, and removal of human rights, simple when you think about it. Also makes me laugh.
Sunak claims the benefits of Brexit will “continue to empower communities”!
Whatever is this lying fantasist doing in charge of a country of seventy odd million people?
The truth is out there for all to see. The UK is at the bottom of the league for growth and economy except for sanctioned Russia and Belarus. The UK Conservatives have trade sanctioned the Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. They have already done as much economic and social damage to the nations of the British Isle as Putin has done to Russia and the Ukraine. We need to join the European Union. We need the Single market. If the UK does not agree then we must leave the UK. Then there is the problem of the UK Tories… Read more »
Rejoining the Single Market is not the same as rejoining the European Union. How many times in the run up to the referendum did I hear people like Farage saying “why can’t we be like Norway?.”
Good to hear that somebody has the courge to say what has been obvious to many of us for some time. We now need the Lib Dems to come up with the same viewpoint which might just make Colonial London Labour realise that their position is far too close to the Tories. I know it is unlikely, but I am an optimist. Good things do happen occasionally.
Brexit involves complete separation from anything related to the EU – it is fanaticism on steroids. Yes Welsh independence will mean Cymru leaving the UK but it does not mean total isolation. In fact it will likely mean the very opposite with very close links with the rest of the British Isles and the EU. However, how we forge these links will be done by us in Cymru and not by an institution that is miles away and cares little about about whether we exist or not.
Plaid could have tried a lot harder to explain to folks what that circle of stars meant and made more effort to get across to the population which side our bread was buttered. The kids under the voting age knew but could not get it across to their parents… … What’s that banging? That is the sound of a stable door swinging in the wind… The ‘vox pops’ were excruciating, so many people knew so little of how the economy of Wales worked, only the politicians could tell the masses and they failed and a acknowledgement of this fact would… Read more »
What is Plaid’s view on the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine? The UK say no to giving them F-16s, what they don’t say is we haven’t got any, double speak with forked tongue that’s Whitehall. And the rest of the West says give them not enough too late, the worst kind of ‘friends’…
So Adam where do you stand?