CARDIFF, WALES
Wales For Europe spokesperson, Geraint Talfan Davies responds to the Prime Minister’s speech on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.
If Theresa May’s startling optimism is misjudged it’s going to cost every one of us far more than anybody thought. Turning our back on the single market is a massive error of judgment. It will not be without cost, especially to jobs in Wales.
What kind of club is going to grant the same benefits to non-members as to its members? It will cost Wales and the UK dearly – our communities, businesses, our public services, and our young people will lose out.
The Prime Minister has posed a false choice for the UK between Europe and the world. She seems intent on grabbing the illusion of control while sacrificing real influence. Britain will matter less in the world when it vacates the top table of the world’s largest economy. In trade terms, the Government is intent on walking out of a trading block that represents nearly 7% of the world’s population to rely on the lesser clout of being a country that is less than 1%.
At the same time, the UK Government it is trying to cosy up to a new American President set on a protectionist agenda who will hold much stronger cards when the International Trade Secretary comes knocking.