Tory MP: Wales will have more of a voice on Brexit
The Welsh Government will now have more of a say on Brexit following Theresa May’s failure to win a majority at last week’s Westminster General Election, according to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales.
Aberconwy MP Guto Bebb, who came within 635 votes of losing his seat to Labour candidate Emily Owen, said that the UK Government could not listen to the DUP while ignoring Wales.
“We can’t listen to the DUP about the concerns of the two main parties in Northern Ireland when it comes to Brexit, and then not listen to what is being said by the governments of Wales and Scotland,” he told Golwg magazine.
“It would be strange if any government in Westminster ignored a party that had won half the vote in Wales.
“Of course we have the SNP and Ruth Davidson, who both feel very strongly about keeping a close connection with the single market, which suggests we’ll have to listen to Scotland too.”
He said that the voters’ message to the Conservatives was clear.
“We’re not going to give you a majority over the other parties, so you have to work with them,” he said.
You can read the entire interview with Guto Bebb in this week’s Golwg magazine, £1.75.
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Strange message but a true one. The Tories not having a majority helps Wales.
Does this make Carwyn Jones more influential by default?
That almost looks like sense from a Tory MP chwarae teg. Hopefully he can back it up.
Well, he did start off as a Plaid Cymru activist. Nothing preventing someone being right wing but still believing strongly Wales itself should have a strong say in how it is governed, even if it goes against the details of what he believes in. That’s a very healthy attitude, which people of any political persuasion could benefit from.
Absolutely, and it’s refreshing to see!
I dont trust him. He turned and lied about Plaid Cymru…..so why cant he lie to us?
Iantoddu…..hes a hardcore unionist though now
Tory MP says the government should listen to the Labour government of Wales. Fair play to him. That displays a damn good attitude towards Wales. The proper attitude, that Wales should be listened to whether those views coincide with ones own or not. Far better than a hell of a lot of people in the Labour Party, who put party politics above such things. And far better than a hell of a lot of people in Plaid Cymru, who put party politics above such things. Far better than a hell of a lot of people in the Conservative party, who… Read more »
“And far better than a hell of a lot of people in Plaid Cymru, who put party politics above such things.” – ugh where did that happen? Plaid been a bit too cosy with Labour for many things in the past…that’s hardly “selfish tribal politics”
Yes, they have been, because their party politics are more about pushing progressive politics than independence, so they are quite happy to cosy up to Labour. But the reaction (for example) to the idea of Plaid Cymru being involved in a coalition in Conwy which even involved the Conservatives is instructive. It was never going to happen. The idea that people had voted for the conservative members so maybe consider working with them on council level – no. Never. Their party politics were more imprortant. I’m not saying it was the right way to go, but it was never going… Read more »
With two thirds of welsh exports going to the EU single market Wales certainly needs ‘a voice’ in the Brexit negotiations.
Plaid seems far to close to Labour and a huge distance away from the Tories and they/we should consider closer cooperation to the latter too.. Plaid members and also senior representatives have always, it seems, done Labours dirty work calling the Tories a list of absolutely awful unflattering descriptions – indeed all the words under the sun it may seem. We must respect both parties not hang onto Labours coat tails or following like a little lamb behind this party who, when elections arrives, they blast hell out of all political parties – Plaid included! When I first joined Plaid… Read more »