Welsh Assembly members are to to discuss the possibility of breaking away from the Westminster government and the UK state when they return early from their summer break to discuss the Brexit situation this week
The first plenary session after the summer break will be held in the Senedd this Thursday, September 5, and will start at 1pm. The historic debate, titled ‘Brexit and Prorogation of the UK Parliament’ will see members debate a range of views on the five week proroguing of the Westminster Parliament, as well as a Welsh National Constitutional Convention to look at Welsh sovereignty.
In an amendment, Senedd member Caroline Jones (Brexit party) supports a clean break Brexit ‘in light of the refusal of many MPs to accept the result of the 2016 referendum and the intransigence of the European Union in its negotiating position.’
Mrs Jones also calls calls on the UK Government to use all necessary and appropriate means to implement the result of the 2016 referendum, in which both the UK and Wales voted to leave the European Union.
Points of discussion for the debate raised by Welsh Senedd members Rebecca Evans (Welsh Labour) and Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) are that a no deal Brexit ‘would cause significant short term disruption and deep long-term damage to Wales, and that therefore the United Kingdom should in no circumstances leave the EU on a no deal basis’.
They also call for Westminster MP’s to ‘use any legal and constitutional means available to prevent the UK Government from pursuing a no deal outcome to the Brexit negotiations and to ensure that the decision on whether or not to leave the EU in the light of current circumstances should go back to the electorate in a referendum.’
Perhaps more interestingly for Wales, Senedd member Neil McEvoy (Independent) has also added an amendment stating that the agenda being pursued by the UK Government in London, ‘could very soon lead to the full political separation of the nations currently making up the UK state’ and that the Welsh Government should prepare for that possibility.
Mr McEvoy also calls for the establishment of a constitutional convention to map out what a future sovereign Wales would look like. Mr McEvoy also calls for people’s assemblies made up of interested members of the Welsh public to contribute to the work of this constitutional convention. He also calls for ‘the best legal minds in Wales and beyond to write a draft constitution for a future sovereign Wales, to be discussed, amended and ultimately adopted by the constitutional convention’, and to engage the best economists from Wales and beyond to help aid this for Wales.
Rhun ap Iorwerth also calls for the preparation for the possible eventuality of a no deal outcome by calling on the Welsh Government to establish a Welsh National Constitutional Convention, including a Citizens Assembly; looking at all options for Wales’ constitutional future, including independence, and to begin preparations for a referendum whereby the people of Wales decide their constitutional future.
An increasing amount of people in Wales are now calling for Welsh politicians to forget Westminster and that it’s futile to keep protesting at the inability of Westminster ‘to sort themselves out’. Many are insisting that Welsh Senedd members should instead concentrate on framing the debate within a Welsh political context first and foremost.
Many are also pointing out that politicians speaking of ‘defending democracy’ whilst protesting to overturn the democratic result of the 2016 Brexit referendum, is Orwellian double speak and that Welsh politicians have a great opportunity to start discussing how independence from both the UK and EU unions should look.
To see the full details of the plenary debate please visit here
Everyone will be able to watch this historic debate on Senedd TV
