Brussels Would Listen To A Welsh Brexit Minister......Trouble Is London Wouldn't

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I have written before about the consequences about Brexit to Wales, with emphasis on the issue of the Ford engine plant in Bridgend. So it was interesting to hear the views of the Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies (RT I would assume standing for Rotund Tummy) who suggested that Wales should have a Brexit minister because it was too much of a job for the Labour First Minister to handle by himself.

On the surface this seems to be a good idea. Unlike their Scottish equivalents the Welsh government seems to have provided a squeaky mouse approach to the approaching cliff face jump. Indeed I have argued that they seem to lack a clear approach to any damage that the lack of EU money/business investment would cause Wales.

An example that came to light last week was the criticism of the Welsh Labour govt for their lack of communication with Irish ministers over the effect Brexit would have over the channel crossings through the Irish sea. Just taking the effect on the Welsh side the damage to the ports involved could have a knock on effect to economies of Swansea and Holyhead. But from Cardiff Bay apparently hardly anything, why should they care indeed when ferries won't spoil their privileged and subsidised view.

Bridgend to the Valleys, Rhondda to Holyhead. All of Wales will be affected in one way or another by Brexit. Possibly disastrously given the Rip Van Winkle approach currently being acted upon by Welsh Labour.

Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru have set out a post Brexit future for Wales. But of course Plaid are not the government and consequently are unable to get actively involved in the process.

So a Welsh minister targeting the needs of Wales post Brexit seems not unreasonable. And to go back to the example of Scotland (and to digress here how pathetic Welsh Labour really are in battling for Wales in comparison with what the SNP are doing for Scotland) even they have a ministry for Brexit

Unfortunately negotiating with Brussels, or at least being part of David Davis' negotiating team, is not what the Rotund Tummy one had in mind. Instead the Welsh Brexit minister should give "strong and constructive representation" to the UK government negotiators.

And therein lies the problem. For if Welsh Labour government input is to be fed through a Conservative Westminster administration we all know that the interests of Wales will be ignored. For if the interests of Wales were listened to "Super prisons" would not be built and the railways would be electrified.

Apparently the economic minister in the National Assembly sits on a pan UK committee on Brexit...a committee that has not met since February. The UK govt has just taken the Brexit ball and run away with it, if only it knew what to do. "Constructive Ambiguity" is how the UK Brexit secretary is describing the negotiations with the EU at the moment. This is of course gloss marketing speak for "We don't know what we're doing and we're making it up as we go along".

(And having spoken of the shame of Welsh Labour. Is it not equally shameful that the EU. Now a group of twenty seven states have got it's act together  unlike the British Conservative administration?)

Perhaps the Brexit ministry feels that consultation with the Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns is sufficient. A man let's not forget so sensitive to our European neighbours that he called Italians "greasy wops". It says enough about the Conservative party that a) he got away with it and b) got promoted.

Wales voted for Brexit but they didn't vote to take back control and then find London controlling the negotiations and aftermath that directly affects it. If it turns out to be the disaster us Remainers predict, then resentment will grow and with that a rise in the Welsh Nationalist movement. Whilst I believe in independence for Wales there is no member of Plaid Cymru who would wish the economic disaster that might lead it there for it's effect on the people living there.

So for the wellbeing of the UK as a whole, Brexit ministers from all the regions should be listened to and be part of the British negotiating group. Unfortunately we all know that won't be happening.

Until the next time.