Wales ‘may need to reassess its place in the union’ warns Brexit Minister
The Welsh Government will need to reassess Wales’ place in the union if other nations leave as a result of a hard Brexit.
The Welsh Government’s Brexit Minister will make the comments at the National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst in Conwy today.
“Increasingly there has been a renewed interest in what Wales would do if a hard Brexit brought about the departure from the union of other nations,” Jeremy Miles is expected to say.
“We believe that the UK is a voluntary association of nations, so it follows that we also recognise that some component parts of the United Kingdom may no longer choose to be part of it.
“And if that were to happen, any sensible government would have to reassess Wales’s place in a changed UK.”
But he added that the Welsh Government would aim to stay in the UK if it could: “We continue to believe in the union. Our priority is to remain and reform.”
Following the European Parliament election in May, the Welsh Government is now officially backing a second referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, and will campaign to remain in the EU if one is held.
Mr Miles will also say in his comments that the UK Government’s attitude towards devolution needs to “change fundamentally”.
“Currently, it seems still to have a profound ambivalence about devolution,” he will say.
“Or worse, an attitude that if we behave ourselves, the UK government will out of the goodness of its heart, allow us some limited powers of self-government.
“A ‘get what you’re given’ type of devolution.”
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This is blatant posturing. A “Welsh Labour” government will never muster the nerve to secede. If the electorate wants out of UK it needs to vote Labour out of Y Cynulliad first. Then the electorate will need to take a long hard look at what takes its place because those parties too may be quite content to serve as regional vassals.
I agree with Huw Davies below…it probably is posturing, however he makes an interesting point that the Welsh Gov believes that the 4 nations are ‘voluntary’ members of the UK; suggesting that any member can leave if their population decides the union is no longer working for them….
Hmm! But he added the Welsh Government would aim to stay in the UK if it could.
“We continue to believe in the Union. Our priority is to remain and reform”.
Labour has had over a hundred years to try and reform the system from within.
To paraphrase from ‘Life of Brian’.
“What has the Union ever done for us”.
The history of the uniting of Britain and Ireland was one which used coercion and violence – not pretty
…. reinforced by social engineering and conditioning on a mass scale means that people dont seem to truly want beneficial democratic reform 🙁
….. Even my father remembers how imperialist schools were in the 1950s…..camau bach/small steps