Carwyn Jones welcomes the PM to Wales

30 January 2017, 09:09

First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones is welcoming leaders from across the UK to Cardiff to discuss Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.

During the meeting, First Minister Carwyn Jones will urge Prime Minister Theresa May to use the Welsh Government's EU White Paper as the starting point for forthcoming Brexit negotiations.

The White Paper, published last week by First Minister Carwyn Jones and leader of Plaid Cymru Leanne Wood, is a comprehensive, credible plan for the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

The White Paper is not just a shopping list of demands from Wales, but a pragmatic starting point for negotiations that can deliver for all parts of the United Kingdom.

The paper balances concerns over immigration with the economic reality that makes participation in the single market central to Wales' future prosperity.

In today's meeting, the First Minister will also call on the Prime Minister to uphold the promises made during the referendum campaign that Wales would not lose funding as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

First Minister, Carwyn Jones said:

"I look forward to welcoming Government representatives from across the UK to Cardiff today. Today's meeting is an important opportunity for open and frank discussions about the UK's future post-Brexit.

While we know that the UK will leave the EU we don't yet know how that will happen or what form our relationship with the EU will look like beyond that point. To inform that discussion, last week I launched our Brexit White Paper. This is a Paper that will be supported by almost three quarters of Assembly Members, setting out a comprehensive, credible and evidence-based plan for Brexit negotiations; securing both full and unfettered access to the Single Market and greater domestic control of immigration.

It is not simply a list of demands. While it protects Wales' interests, it was created as a sensible starting point for negotiations for the whole UK."