Tuesday, 14th July 2026 Cardiff 24° · Mainly clear
Sign in Subscribe Donate
Nation•Cymru A news service by the people of Wales, for the people of Wales.

News

Carwyn Jones ‘lacks strength of character’ to defy UK Labour on Brexit, warn Plaid Cymru

By NationCymru
The First Minister. Picture: National Assembly.

First Minister Carwyn Jones is unlikely to deny consent for the EU Withdrawal Bill if Labour vote for it in the House of Commons, according to Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards.

The Second Reading of the EU Withdrawal Bill in the House of Commons will conclude on Monday 11 September.

Plaid Cymru has tabled an amendment to the Bill, denying support for it. The Labour Party is yet to table an amendment, indicating that they will let it pass through Second Reading unopposed.

Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards said that without the backing of the UK Labour Party, it was questionable whether Carwyn Jones would deny consent for the Bill in the National Assembly for Wales.

“Labour’s action during Second Reading will also indicate their likely position when the Bill is debated in the National Assembly during the Legislative Consent process.,” Jonathan Edwards said.

“Speaking in a personal capacity, I doubt Carwyn Jones and his colleagues in the Welsh Government have the strength of character and conviction to deny their support unless the Labour leadership in Westminster decide to bring down the Bill.

“Their actions will be determined by the position of their London bosses not the Welsh national interest.  If Labour fail to protect Welsh democracy and the Welsh jobs in these defining votes, history will not be very kind on their act of cowardice.”

Jonathan Edwards MP

'Trojan Horse'

If Labour Cardiff sit on their hands they will be endorsing and demonstrating support for what they themselves have called a “naked power grab”, he said.

“Brexit is being used as a Trojan horse to reassert Westminster control over the British State,” Jonathan Edwards said.

“British Government Ministers aren’t even being tactful about how they intend on using the Great Repeal Bill to fundamentally grab powers away from Wales which have been endorsed in two separate referenda by the people of our country.

“These powers are vital because they enable the Welsh Government to shape our economy.

“As the scandal over electrification of the Rail line between Swansea and Cardiff shows we cannot expect Westminster to act with the best interests of Wales at heart.

“Plaid Cymru will not support any legislation which deliberately aims to seek to undermine Welsh democracy.”

Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

13 comments

Gareth

Sorry to be miserable. But Plaid can say what they want. They've got no say and no influence regarding Brexit - on this issue they're more irrelevant than the Lib Dems!

Reply
Chris

But the point is to call Labour out.....and make sure Carwyn Jones is held to account

Reply
CambroUiDunlainge

How do you foresee he'll be held to account? Because I don't think Welsh Labour are held to account ever. Neither is Plaid Cymru for that matter - after their performance in June we've got Adam Price saying "Let Leanne be Leanne...". There is absolutely no accountability in Welsh politics unless you go against the gravy train (of which Plaid spends most of its time trying to plug with its nose).

Reply
glasiad

As a former member of Plaid Cymru, I cringe when I read their pronouncements on Brexit these days. They really have lost the plot. Let me explain: On 23 June 2016 the majority of Welsh voters defied their masters and voted Leave. We defied the entire political establishment, the "experts", the prophets of doom and gloom, the President of the United States even. Wales had woken up, a land of sheep no more. Having voted for greater independence for Britain we were clearly on the road to independence for Wales. Plaid Cymru's continued response to this defiance remains embarrassing. Along with the BBC and our "betters" in London, Plaid Cymru continues to role out Project Fear, insisting that Wales must remain dependent on the EU for handouts and directives. Some even use the slogan "an independent Wales in the EU" despite it being a self-evident oxymoron. Meanwhile, the EU sends out stern warnings to member states Hungary and Poland threatening them with punishments unless they desist in proposing national constitutional changes not to they liking. Just the central role of the undemocratic European Commission, along with its partners the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank, played in backing the financial elites in destroying the Greek and Latvian economies through duplicitous debt-burdening, paving the way for privatisation and asset-stripping the countries, should make anybody with any sense of justice avoid the EU like the plague. If Plaid Cymru is correct that the UK establishment will use the Brexit process to consolidate powers and weaken devolution, then fine, bring it on! We slayed the EU Goliath last year. We will will slay the UK Goliath next. Wales has woken up to the lies that surround us. We should be celebrating, not moaning. Another aspect is democracy. Whether you backed Remain or Leave, the question is - do you accept the verdict of the majority when an election is held? Plaid Cymru is clearly revealing that they do not respect the decision of the Welsh electorate. They disrespect democracy. They disrespect Wales. They have revealed themselves as having the same mindset as the political elites in London - who have always looked down their nose on the common people. "Tyranny of the majority" John Major called it, revealing his elitist snobbery. So who is "undermining Welsh democracy"? Plaid Cymru certainly is when it dismisses the 52% of Welsh votes who voted Leave. Plaid Cymru MP Johnathan Edwards thinks it takes "strength of character and conviction" to attempt to undermine the Welsh electorate's decision on the EU. That would be the strength of character and conviction of a tyrant, not a democrat. If nothing else, the Brexit result has revealed the inner circle of Plaid Cymru to be elitist in character, not a party of the people.

Reply
leigh richards

Well Plaid's 'pronouncements' on brexit might be based on the fact that two thirds of welsh exports are to the eu single market, and a hard brexit and the tariffs it would impose on welsh goods would clearly be disastrous for the welsh economy. You also omit to mention the EU issued warnings to those governments because the hungarian government sponsored an anti immigrant/anti semitic campaign and the right wing polish government wants to strip the polish judiciary of its independence, proposals which have generated huge opposition in poland incidentally https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/19/poland-may-lose-eu-voting-rights-over-judicial-independence

Reply
glasiad

If you are accurate in describing Plaid Cymru's pronouncements on Brexit, then it is a continuation of Project Fear, (or project FUD), a project clearly rejected by the Welsh electorate. As for Poland's and Hungary's reforms, whatever we may think of them, good or bad, is not the point. They are changes being made by democratically elected governments of those nations. The fact that the EU is threatening them if they go ahead reveals the profoundly undemocratic and authoritarian nature of the EU. Their mask has slipped, yet again. It is time we woke up and began defending the principles of democracy, even when that results in changes we may not always agree with.

Reply
Glywys

Poland and Hungary are on the naughty step right now, and I understand the Czechs and Austrians among others might join them. Their governments seem to have gotten it into their heads that they are nation-states that serve as the homeland of their titular ethnic groups. Naturally the European Commission takes a dim view on this sort of ideology, preferring their subjects to have no attachments to anything other than the European Commission, and it shows. Meanwhile Wales is a colonial possession, with a rising incoming population who by and large have no reason to care about the previous tenants of a patch of land being a nation - they already have loyalties and with the saturation of both demographics and culture there is no need to integrate. The UK government has the same stance on nations as the EC, at every level. In a century from now Poland and Hungary and those who align with them, whatever their faults today, may be all that remains of Europe. Perhaps they'll be destitute paupers reduced to begging for scraps of aid, but at least they'll be themselves. We on the other hand stand to receive the "privilege" of being colonised for the dozenth time. My Welsh is lacking but I'm reminded of some Welsh adages I read. The one that sticks in my mind translated to something like "better my hovel than your palace". I suppose that way of thinking is one of the things that was killed off with the language.

Reply
Glyndwr

Glasiad: Curious as to how you see a Welsh voice standing up to Westminster. How would YOU suggest Wales defends itself from the supermarket sweep from London of the powers and economic foundations Wales has been trying to build on through its vital connections with Europe. I assume you have the answer... I need convincing...

Reply
glasiad

No nation can enjoy the perks of independence if it remains economically dependent on other nations or trading blocks. Exports / imports should always be the icing, never the cake. Only then could Wales enjoy a sustainable and prosperous national economy. At the very least we should demand parity with the Isle of Man which has its own currency and an independent parliament. While we are stuck with the English pound as our sole currency we will continue to be fleeced and exploited. For more info on money, the economy and independence see: https://freewales.org/independent-wales-prosperous-wales/

Reply
Neil McEvoy

Jonathan is usually spot on with his attacks, but let's not follow Labour with attacks on character. It's not a lack of a back bone which explains (un)Welsh Labour caving it to London, it's their pervading UK nationalist ideology. Labour operates like a tribe also and the interests of the tribe always come first. Plaid in the Bay needs full on opposition, not a half way house, where we seem eager to fall over ourselves to negotiate crumbs or supposedly "influence." It comes to something when a Labour finance Minister refuses to divulge any more than 0.71% of a budget and yet some of our guys think he is really reasonable! Refusing to say anything on 99.29% of a budget takes some front, so fair play to him exploiting the over respectful deference. It's a pity we don't have Jonathan & his colleagues in Cardiff Bay. I'm sure we would have a more defined opposition if they were.

Reply
Bryn Daf

PLAID CYMRU NEED TO STOP TALKING ABOUT WELSH DEPENDENCY ON THE EU...ITS NEGATIVE AND BREEDS A MINDSET WE ARE WORTHLESS AND TOO WEAK

Reply
leigh richards

it's not its about 'DEPENDENCY' Bryn Daf - it's about economic realities. Two thirds of welsh exports are to the eu single market, and a hard brexit and the tariffs it would impose on welsh goods would clearly be disastrous for the welsh economy. Plaid are right to challenge labour on staying in the single market and the customs union http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/report-shows-cardiff-swansea-critically-12518783

Reply
Llyr Davies

So sad to see this site become the home of Plaid propaganda so quickly.

Reply

Leave a reply

Replying to Neil McEvoy Cancel

Jonathan is usually spot on with his attacks, but let's not follow Labour with attacks on character. It's not a lack of a back bone which explains (un)Welsh Labour caving it to London, it's their pervading UK nationalist ideology. Labour op...

Comments are reviewed before they appear.