Rees-Mogg slams ‘seperatist’ Welsh Government for ‘wasting taxpayer money’ on opposing devolution ‘power grab’
Jacob Rees-Mogg has attacked the Welsh Government for its legal challenge to post-Brexit legislation that will overrule devolution.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the new Brexit Opportunities Minister accused the “the hard-left Administration in Wales, backed up by separatists” of “wasting taxpayers’ money on taking fruitless legal action”.
The Welsh Government has accused the UK Government of using the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 as a “power grab”.
Speaking in the Senedd earlier this month, the leader of the Senedd Lesley Griffiths said that the aim was to “wrestle funding and decision-making powers away from both the Welsh Government and the Senedd”.
However, a court refused its legal challenge this month on the grounds it was “premature” because there were not yet specific examples or circumstances to test that claim.
Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Stephen Crabb asked Jacob Rees-Mogg whether such a legal challenge was a waste of the Welsh Government’s time and resources.
“Two weeks ago, the courts again threw out the Welsh Labour Government’s legal challenge to the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020,” he said.
“Does my right honorable friend agree that instead of spending the past five years expending an enormous amount of time, energy and taxpayers’ money on fighting a democratic referendum result, the devolved Administrations would have served their populations far better by working collaboratively with the UK Government on the great national mission of levelling up our one United Kingdom?”
‘Fruitless’
Jacob Rees-Mogg answered: “I entirely agree with my right honourable friend.
“It is noticeable that the hard-left Administration in Wales, backed up by separatists, is not acting in the interests of the people of Wales. It would be much better to accept the democratic result of the Brexit referendum.
“The people of the United Kingdom voted to leave; we have now left and the opportunities will flow. To waste taxpayers’ money on taking fruitless legal action is, to my mind, the sort of thing that only the hard-left socialist would do.”
A study published last week showed that a majority of Leave voters in Wales did not believe that Brexit should be used to remove powers from the Senedd.
Writing in a British Politics after Brexit report for the UK in a Changing Europe initiative, academics from Cardiff University used Welsh Election Study (WES) data to show that 52% of Leave voters rejected the suggestion that “the UK Government is right to remove powers from the Senedd if it is necessary to maximise Brexit benefits”.
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Putinesque comment. What does he think of the Tories attempts to undermine the settled democratic will of the people of Wales? The sort of stunt hard right imperialists would pull. Will Wales’ MP’s stand up to these wastrel ideologues, this bastion of organised spivery?
Don’t bank on it!!
Yes. This is not a surprise. Brexiteers are anti-democratic. Always have been. The Westminster puppets are clearly learning from their Russkie paymasters.
Pretty soon we’ll have Dad’s Army massing on our borders ready to invade.
Bring it on. The Victorian Tories certainly ain’t Russia. Just paid for by them
“A study published last week showed that a majority of Leave voters in Wales did not believe that Brexit should be used to remove powers from the Senedd.”
For those who never understood it, the “United Kingdom of Great Britain” has always been Greater England.
Maybe they should have thought of that earlier. Who did they think would take over rulership once we were dragged away from the EU?
Unless the EU was able to offer a guarantee in law to protect devolution, who’s to say the Tory Government wouldn’t have begun trying to dismantle devolution anyway? Nobody saw muscular unionism coming, and certainly nobody in Wales voted for it.
I love that the flabby flag waging inpetitude is called “muscular” unionism”
Right.
As long as the UK was in the EU, England had to respect member Nations. But now, England is free to annex Devolution.
The only solution to this is to recover independence.
Kick all English party’s out of wales that’s the Tories Labour and all Brexit party’s start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴 its time for a new wales 🏴
Change quote to, ‘ It is noticeable that the hard right administration in England, backed by Russian money is not acting in the interests of Wales. It would be much better to accept the democratic result of devolution ‘. Little Lord Fonteroy Chinless Pencil Neck is the best recruitment ambassador for the independence movement I have witnessed. A caricature and a living breathing spitting image puppet to boot. Keep it up Walter the softy,
Wales did not vote to have its powers taken away by Westminster. Once again, Stephen Crabb shows himself to be every bit as bad as his so-called “Welsh Conservative” colleagues . They are an utter disgrace.
Perversely, we in Wales, should rejoice that this anachronistic mogul occupies this afterthought of a ministerial office. Let alone his absurd demeanour and presence which never fails to show he has nothing in common with the ordinary person is exacerbated by his detachment from the reality of the true state of things that are detrimentally affecting Welsh prosperity. This effectively, is a bonus for Wales because every time he opens his elocuted mouth in this way, he is only strengthening support for devolution and independence. So I say to him keep it up.
JRM ? Just Rancid Mutterings. Man is a cartoon character, a complete and utter fu**wit. Does anyone outside his own bubble take him seriously ?
They will never stop sneering. The only effective response is independence. His reaction to that will be priceless.
Given the language that Putin et al. have used to justify their unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, isn’t it about time that the Conservatives stopped using these ridiculous and, quite frankly, racist arguments against the Welsh and our democratically elected government. Jacob Rees-Mogg and his party are just showing themselves to be anti-Welsh and are trying to undermine our democracy. Reminds me of Putin!
Fascist
Replace ‘Wales’ with ‘Ukraine’ in Rees-Mogg’s speech and you could well imagine Putin saying the exact same thing – “It is noticeable the hard-left Administration in Wales/Ukraine, backed up by separatists, is not acting in the interests of the people of Wales/Ukraine”.
You guys are crazy mun. The courts have repeatedly said this is a fruitless argument and have thrown it out. They threw it out on the basis that NOTHING has been taken away nor will it be. Jesus Christ, just READ what has actually happened and stop comparing Wales to a war zone you total cretin
Cybernats live in (their mums’) basements, that’s why they are so out of touch with reality and post on here.
You an ‘England only and forever’ type of guy then?
“The Welsh Government are *ugly nationalists*”.
Where have I heard that line before? From the Conservative Party paymaster?
Putin said that?! Irony not his strong point
It seems that the Torys are deliberately pushing for Wales to want to leave the union They should know that their insulting remarks harden the resolve to be independent.
You could be forgiven for thinking that Wales had voted to stay in the EU. Wales voted to leave. And the Minister for Brexit Wishful Thinking is sure that “opportunities will flow”. He doesn’t know what they are, he doesn’t know when they will arrive, he isn’t even bothered if no-one notices by then. Remember, he promised that “the price of food will go down” to get the Brexit vote. Anyone spot the big drop in the price of food since 2016? Anyone? Why would you, extra red tape and loss of EU foodchain workers means higher prices. And goodbye… Read more »
Wales didn’t vote to leave the EU. Of the people eligible to vote approximately a third of idiots voted to leave, a thoird of voters voted to remain and a third of lazy, uninterested, or unable to, didn’t vote. So we were dragged out by a minority of motivated morons. I agree with the rest of what you say.
Just look at this entitled creature! What would motivate any moral person to elect someone like this??
Said hypocrite Jacob Rees-Smug, the English separatist who falsely accused the EU of stealing Britain’s sovereignty & power, but did the same to Wales, Scotland & NI after were left Europe by hijacking our EU powers that should have been repatriated to Cardiff, Edinburgh & Belfast. Democracy is alien to our Conservative idiocracy. The fascist Tories have also used threats & intimidation by demanded Wales, Scotland & NI conform to English rules & regulations, or else! The European Union never did this to Wales. They treated us with respect, held out the hand over friendship and allowed Welsh MEPs to… Read more »
Court said it was bs. Deal with it and move on.
We will ‘move on’… Out of this union.
I agree ! Instead of wasting time and money going to court to protest against this power grab – the Senedd should invest the money in looking to make Wales an independent country. No more complaining about loss of power etc, we all know the situation it will never change no matter how Welsh Labour may wish for it. It’s finally time for independence.
The people of Wales voted for out of Europe. Trouble is that Labour and Plaid do not accept that. Any place north of the M4 does not really count as far as the Senedd are concerned. North Wales would be better of joining with the North West of England. The Senedd have failed with the NHS up here and the banning of new roads plus the cheapo version of new roads ie…the older parts of A55, Llanbedr by-pass and the Caernarfon by-pass. Also Gwynedd lost 16% of the county to a less Welsh county to. Why ?
Rees Mogg can sling names at Wales all he wants. The mans’ own ignorance and arrogance prevents him from seeing simple facts such as in no election ever held has Wales majority elected Tories which means we never wanted them here, we don’t now and very highly likely never will so leave us to our own new found democracy denied us completely with Tories imposed on us pre 1997. Close the door on your way out.