Darren Millar AM/AC opened a lively debate in the Chamber today (January 29), in which the Welsh Conservatives debated the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union.
He reminded other Members of the simple fact that, on June 23, 2016, the majority of Welsh voters cast their votes in favour of leaving the European Union.
It was, he said:
“… a mandate to deliver Brexit.
“The 2016 referendum saw the highest turnout in any ballot in Wales since the 1997 general election, with 854,572 people across the country voting to leave the EU.
“Now, politicians cannot choose which public votes they decide to respect. Parliament gave the public the power to decide whether our future was in or out of the EU, and it is vital for our democracy that election and referendum results are always implemented.
“So, that's why I'm delighted that this week, at 11 o'clock on Friday, in spite of the best efforts of the Labour Party, Plaid Cymru and the so-called Liberal Democrats, Wales – along with the rest of the United Kingdom – will finally leave the European Union and Boris Johnson will have delivered on his pledge to get Brexit done, fulfilling the promise to voters in Wrexham, Bridgend, Clwyd South, Ynys Môn, the Vale of Clwyd, Delyn, Brecon and Radnorshire, and many other seats across Wales.”
Unsurprisingly, Mr Millar – the Welsh Conservative spokesperson for Exiting the EU – met with some opposition in the Chamber during the debate, as has the process itself.
He continued, stating that in the past 20 years, the Welsh Government has received some £5 billion in EU structural funds, adding:
“… yet Wales has continued to qualify for support because the gross domestic product has remained below the 75 percent EU average, and this is in spite of the fact that we've seen the accession of former communist countries into eastern Europe with poorer economies.”
Speaking later, Mr Millar said:
“It’s been a long three-and-a half years, but Boris Johnson’s simple slogan of ‘Get Brexit Done’ is coming to fruition.
“Had those individuals, organisations, and political parties been successful in their bid to overturn the largest-ever democratic exercise in the UK, the damage to our reputation, and lack of trust in the political system could have suffered damage that couldn’t have been fixed.
“We’ve got Brexit done, and now it’s time – and long overdue because of the blocks put in the way – to build a new relationship within Europe with our soon-to-be former EU partners, and look beyond those 27 nations to the rest of the world for more trade deals.”