The UK Government has reneged on assurances that the devolved nations would have a say in post-Brexit trade negotiations by stating the devolved government’s views would only be taken into account “when we (UK Government) can”.

As recently as January 2020, Michael Gove MP said the devolved nations would “absolutely” have a say in shaping the UK’s negotiations. Instead, the UK has published a stance which implicitly suggests they’ll walk away from negotiations unilaterally and will “go it alone”.

In a strongly-worded statement, Counsel General & Brexit Minister, Jeremy Miles (Lab, Neath) said:

“The Welsh Government does not endorse the positions set out in the UK mandate. In taking their approach, the UK Government has missed the opportunity to build a strong united position across all governments of the UK. With a UK Government choosing not to listen to our legitimate concerns, they enter the negotiations next week alone.”

ITV Wales’ Adrian Masters said a statement from the First Minister, in which he expressed “great regret” at the UK Government’s decision, was a sign of “a serious breakdown in relations” between the UK and Welsh governments.

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