Ten years ago today, the United Kingdom voted for what would prove to be the greatest act of economic self-sabotage in modern history, according to Wales' First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth. In an exclusive opinion piece, he argues that the campaign of misinformation led by Nigel Farage and his Tory counterparts left the UK smaller in stature, meaner in spirit, and poorer.
Brexit's Impact on Wales
What was promised and what came to pass are poles apart - an electorate yearning for change teased by the prospect of sunlit uplands only to be left stranded on an arid plain. In Wales, the legacy of cutting ourselves off from our largest trading bloc has been particularly acute, causing £4 billion worth of damage to our economy.
As was the case with austerity and Covid, a nation with an ageing population and rural swathes peppered with post-industrial towns and cities will always be more exposed to such headwinds. At present, the resilience of our people is not matched by the resilience of the surrounding infrastructure designed to protect them, but the seismic political shift that Wales experienced six weeks ago presents an opportunity to change that.
New Approach Under First Minister
As the new First Minister of Wales, my administration is already doing things differently, and that includes our approach to Europe, as well as the United Kingdom. Tomorrow, I will be in Dublin to attend the Ireland-Wales Ministerial Forum, promoting a renewed partnership to strengthen the enduring bond which has existed between our nations for centuries. Similar bonds tie Wales to many European countries, and those bonds to my mind did not break on 23 June 2016.
I will use the forum to seek to further cement our ties with Ireland and strengthen the bilateral cooperation framework between us, building on the Ireland-Wales Shared Statement which is already in place. There is vast untapped potential including trade, transport and culture, and my intention is to foster an ever-closer relationship between our Celtic nations rooted in common interests.
European Ambitions
A decade on from the referendum, I feel as European as ever. In my meeting with EU Heads of Mission in London later this week, I will set out my ambition to ensure that this sentiment manifests as meaningful action by the new Welsh Government to strengthen cultural and economic ties with our closest European neighbours.
Wales's interests are ultimately best served by returning to full membership of the European Union, and as First Minister I will continue to make the case that the UK should seek to rejoin both the single market and customs union. I will always make the case to UK Government that the Welsh Government has a seat at the table whenever European issues are discussed that directly impact Wales.
Standards and Youth Mobility
We must keep pace with Europe's world-leading standards in areas including environmental protection, public health and food standards, and engagement has already begun on developing a new European Strategy to this end. I have always felt a strong European bond, and I want young people today to have the same experience. Some of my fondest memories are from time spent in Parma during my twenties. My now-wife was there as an Erasmus student. We worked together in a bar, immersed in the local culture and language, privileged and excited to learn what life was like beyond the comfort and familiarity of home.
It saddens me that anyone in their teens or twenties wanting to pursue a similar path today would be burdened by new bureaucracies. That is why my government will work to ensure that young people in Wales can live, study and work in Europe, including by maximising the opportunities for Welsh students that stem from the UK rejoining the Erasmus scheme and examining options for the future of the Wales-specific Taith programme. Mobility means opportunity, and I am determined that the next generation will not have their wings clipped by the decisions of those who have gone before them.
Looking Forward
Efforts by the Leave campaign to devalue the free movement of goods and people may have succeeded in 2016, but with many people now rightly feeling duped by hollow promises, we must avoid bitterness and instead focus on the opportunities which lie before us to win back the things we have lost. The upcoming European Partnership Bill in Westminster presents an opportunity to forge closer economic ties with the EU, and my government and party will be ensuring that the legislation progresses in a way which protects Wales's best interests.
As the First Minister of a government that will always seek to strengthen our European relations, I look forward to exploring new opportunities to promote Wales's place in the world.
