Europe — Mike Hedges AM

I do not believe in a united states of Europe, I do not believe in a European superstate, I do not believe that the European Union is perfect and I do not want to join the Euro.

What I do believe in

· Is a Europe setting minimum standards for the environment meaning that we cannot be undercut by dirty industries

· Safeguarding the 200,000 export-related jobs in Wales

· Not placing our successful aerospace industry at risk. There are no shortage of other European countries that would like to make the wings and other parts for Airbus

There is the danger of losing trade deals that the European Union has with the rest of the world placing 61% of Welsh exports in danger. The very real and serious danger of tariffs on British products. Even if we do not have tariffs there can be quotas to control volumes of exports. Most serious of all is checks at the border that can slow down export making just in time becoming just too late. The Welsh shellfish exports and the industry would be destroyed by such legitimate action.

Also, all car parts will need checking that they meet European rules and these exports support jobs in Wales. We know that without the exports some firms will lose viability.

There are countries that will do trade deals with us

· USA- chlorinated chicken and hormone enlarged beef

· New Zealand and Australia happy for free trade on agriculture

· China happy for free trade on manufactured goods

The above would mean the destruction of most Welsh agriculture and the end of steelmaking and a large amount of manufacturing in Wales. The right of the Conservative party want Brexit to continue their disastrous headlong drive to privatise everything, reduce employment rights and environmental standards.

We saw that devaluation after the vote to leave gave a short fillip to the economy as devaluation always does, making imports dearer and exports cheaper thus making it easier to export but after a short time because much of manufacturing relies on imports especially raw materials then export prices begin to rise.

Why did we want to join the Common Market in 1973 and vote to remain in by an overwhelming majority in 1975. All the advantages that we told we would have if we left were available then yet the British economy was growing substantially slower than the Common market countries and it was felt we needed to belong to the group that made it easier to trade with our near neighbours.

The big losers in Britain will be

· Universities who will struggle if borders are closed to academics and students and if there are barriers to collaboration

· Health could see a loss of nurses, doctors and dentists from the European Union

· Food will be rotting if there is no one to pick it

· The environment, unless European environmental standards are kept, will rapidly deteriorate

· We have seen a rise in the price of petrol as the value of the pound drops

· We have seen how few Euros we get to the pound when going on holiday

When we leave this will get worse

· We will have higher petrol prices as the pound declines

· The probable loss of EHIC holiday insurance means holiday insurance will increase

· Wildly fluctuating food prices and availability of food as we buy on the open world market.

I am in favour of a people’s vote in the event our party’s six tests are not met and it is not possible to have a general election but some words of caution. Whilst population change is in favour of remain as every year there is about 1.5% change in those eligible to vote with the loss of older predominantly leave voters and the gaining of younger predominantly remain voters

The leave vote was based upon emotion and lies so we need to change hearts and minds. A narrow remain vote would only lead to a call for another referendum and a narrow leave vote would be fatal

We need to convince those who voted leave to change their minds because it is in their best interests and is the patriotic thing to do. We need to appeal to their hearts as well as their minds and not have a re-run of a Tory civil war which the last referendum was.

Mike Hedges is the Assembly Member for Swansea East.