Reform Senedd leader mocked over ‘y ddraig goch flying on the world stage’ comment

Emily Price

Reform’s Senedd leader has been mocked for celebrating “y ddraig goch flying on the world stage” moments after her colleague urged the Welsh Government to end its international engagement.

Opposition leader Helen Jenner opened her questions to First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth on Tuesday (October 6) by congratulating Welsh professional rally driver Elfyn Evans on winning the World Rally Championship.

“What a proud moment for Wales and what a wonderful sight to see y ddraig goch flying on the world stage,” Jenner said.

Responding to Jenner’s remarks amid laughter from some Senedd Members, Ap Iorwerth said: “I’m sure the Member doesn’t miss the irony in the way that she put the question in congratulating him for flying the Welsh flag on a world stage, when previously this afternoon, we had been asked to take down that Welsh flag and just look inwards.

“That is Reform’s view of Wales.”

Moments earlier, Reform MS for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd David Mills had been labelled as an “isolationist” by the First Minister after he described Wales’ international relations as an “indulgence” and a “waste”.

Mills appeared to stumble over his script as he argued that international relations were not a matter for the Welsh Government,

He claimed that £58 million was being spent “on all sorts of things”, but was not able to specify what these things were.

The First Minister responded saying the Welsh Government’s responsibility was to “seek the best for Wales” by securing trade deals, attracting inward investment and selling agriculture produce to the world.

Ap Iorwerth said: “Now, I know that the Member is isolationist in the way that he sees the world.

“I am not, I am somebody who will always seek to promote Wales’s place in the world for the benefit of all the people who live in Wales.”

Later during questions to the First Minister, Reform’s Welsh leader raised the matter of Plaid Cymru making the case for rejoining the EU.

Ap Iorwerth said Jenner was “on a roll” moments earlier, arguing that it was acceptable for a sportsman to wave the Welsh flag, but not for the Welsh Government to do so.

The First Minister said: “And now she has the boldness—and I’ve suggested she’s bold before—to suggest that, 10 years on from Brexit, the evidence shows that it was the right thing to do.

“Now, I’m not one to question the decision made by people in that specific referendum 10 years ago, but I am very, very clear in my mind that the damage that has been caused is very, very clear to see.”

Ap Iorwerth branded Reform’s leader in the Senedd an “isolationist” too, adding that he would stand up for the people of Wales in line with his pledge at the recent election.

Jenner argued it was “clear to anybody with an ounce of common sense” that any difficulties associated with a post-Brexit era were down to “the people who were in charge of seeing it through”.

Reform’s leader went on to accuse the First Minister of giving the people of Wales a “raw deal”.

She called on the Welsh Government to make “substantive cuts” to business taxes and energy costs by “scrapping net stupid zero”.

“When are you going to ditch the dodgy ideology and start putting people first? Because so far, all you’ve done is make things worse,” Jenner said.

Ap Iorwerth mocked Reform’s leader in the Senedd saying she had accused him of having “dodgy ideology” when she had “literally” used the words “net stupid zero”.

He said: “Now, that is climate change ideological madness wrapped up in the words of the leader of Reform here in the Senedd.

“She says that Brexit hasn’t worked because the leaders, on a UK level, didn’t get it right. At least I’m glad that she accepts that Brexit hasn’t worked.

“That is why we need to look again at our relationship with Europe and tightening up that relationship for the interests of businesses in Wales and all our citizens.”

Later during questions to the cabinet minister for government effectiveness, Reform MS for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd Iain McIntosh called for the Senedd’s record to be corrected.

He said that while he could not describe the First Minister’s suggestion that all Reform Members wanted to remove the Welsh flag as a “lie”, it was “deliberately misleading”.

McIntosh was heckled as he said: “I would like to suggest that he perhaps concentrates on his own Members, some of whom seem intent on merging the Welsh flag with the Palestinian flag. I’ll leave that there.”

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