This week has been a watershed moment in the on-going Brexit debate and process. Over 250 amendments were tabled by opposition parties in the Westminster Parliament yet none were adopted and therefore the one-page, 7 line bill passed through the House of Commons. The amendment we’re looking at here however concerned ensuring in law, that the promise made by senior Leave politicians such as Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Andrew RT Davies, Neil Hamilton and Nathan Gill.
I can hear brexiteers chanting “will of the people” and “democracy” now, even on my second paragraph; what these people fail to see is that this broken promise IS against the will of the people. One of the many, many, promises made by the Vote Leave campaign included, in Wales, a commitment that at least the same levels of funding would continue outside the EU. This amendment would have enshrined in law, this promise.
However, this amendment, like all the others, failed to make it onto the final bill that left the House of Commons, due to the UK Government bulldozing their slim majority across all compromise. Notable mentions of other broken promises have been:
- Vote Leave and Change Britain Chair, Gisela Stuart promising to protect EU nationals who already live here – she voted against the amendment that protected this
- Remember when Boris Johnson et al. stood in front of bus and posters of that famous £350m promise? All voted against, amendment failed to pass
What is particularly disappointing, and downright unacceptable, is that a sizeable bloc of Welsh MPs voted against the amendment for the promised funding for Wales. It is important that they are known.
MPs who voted AGAINST continued funding for Wales:
Craig Williams MP
- Cardiff North
- facebook.com/craig4cardiffnorth/
- twitter.com/Craig4CardiffN
Chris Davies MP
- Brecon & Radnorshire
- facebook.com/chrisdaviesmp
Simon Hart MP
- Carmarthenshire West & South Pembrokeshire
- facebook.com/simon.hart.737
- twitter.com/simonhartmp
Alun Cairns MP
- Welsh Secretary, Vale of Glamorgan
- facebook.com/aluncairns
- twitter.com/AlunCairns
David Davies MP
- Monmouthshire
- facebook.com/davidtcdavies/
- twitter.com/DavidTCDavies
Byron Davies MP
Guto Bebb MP
- Welsh Office Minister, Aberconwy
- facebook.com/GutoAberconwy/
- twitter.com/GutoAberconwy
Stephen Crabb MP
- Preseli Pembrokeshire
- facebook.com/StephenCrabbPembs
- twitter.com/scrabbmp
James Davies MP
- Vale of Clwyd
- facebook.com/jamesdaviesmp
- twitter.com/jamesdaviesmp
Glyn Davies MP
- Montgomeryshire
- facebook.com/glyndaviesmont
- twitter.com/glyndaviesmp
Where is the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies? Well, he’s off telling a House of Lords committee that the Senedd had not moved on from Brexit. Surely it’s in his best interest for the focus to pivot away from this latest Brexit disappointment. For the only conclusions, one can make from these developments are one of two options:
- That these politicians made these promises in full sincerity, but with complete ignorance of their deliverability
- That these politicians were partaking in a known falsehood, with absolutely no expectation that they would eventually have to fulfill this promise
A great shame.