Welsh FM scaremongering over the union post-Brexit, says Cairns

1 July 2019

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns has accused Mark Drakeford of "scaremongering" about the possible impact of Brexit on the Union of the UK.

Mr Drakeford said there was "anxiety" about a no-deal Brexit at a recent meeting of ministers from around Britain and Ireland.

But Mr Cairns said the UK government had "guaranteed there would be no row-back of devolution or of power".

The UK is due to leave the EU on 31 October.

The first minister told a press conference on Monday that there was not a "single voice" at the British Irish Council summit in Manchester last week "that believed that leaving the European Union without a deal would be anything other than deeply damaging".

Boris Johnson, the frontrunner in the contest to replace Theresa May as Conservative leader and prime minister, has said the UK must leave the EU on 31 October "deal or no deal", but claimed the chances of a no-deal Brexit happening were a "million to one".

His opponent Jeremy Hunt said on Tuesday he would decide by the end of September whether there is a realistic chance of leaving with a deal.

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The Welsh Secretary said: "It's interesting that the first minister is coming to those points because he is the one [who] opposed the deal to leave the European Union."

"Clearly the union will come closer together as one nation, as one United Kingdom, in the event of a deal with the European Union."

Before becoming first minister last year, Mr Drakeford brokered an agreement on behalf of the Welsh Government to end a long-running row over an alleged Brexit "power grab" by London.

In doing so, Mr Cairns said the Welsh Government had effectively "rubber stamped" the withdrawal process under Theresa May.

"Anything else is just scaremongering and is not helping attracting investment to Wales," Mr Cairns said.

'Imperilled'

Days after attending the summit, Mr Drakeford told his monthly press conference: "The union is most imperilled by those people who call themselves unionists.

"The tensions inside the UK are more real and apparent than any time in my political lifetime."

Mr Cairns was visiting Ysgol Bro Morgannwg in Barry with Cabinet Office minister David Liddington, who was also at the council.

Mr Liddington said the 2016 EU referendum result - with England and Wales voting to Leave, and Scotland and Northern Ireland voting Remain - put the union under strain.

"That inevitably makes it a very delicate situation to balance," he said.

"My view about the right way to handle that is that we do need to follow through on the referendum result and to leave, but to do so in an orderly fashion."

Earlier Mr Liddington said he supported the Welsh Government's bid for a million Welsh speakers by 2050.