What Brexit Means For Wales At This Year’s Eisteddfod

Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre and The National Assembly for Wales will host a discussion to explore what Brexit means for Wales at this year’s Eisteddfod. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Chaired by respected journalist Gareth Hughes, the session will feature a presentation by Professors Richard Wyn Jones and Roger Scully. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

They will examine referendum voting patterns, and present some new evidence on what the public actually want Brexit to look like. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Roger Scully of the Wales Governance Centre said:“The referendum result on the 23 June has genuinely transformed the political landscape through the UK and in Wales for the foreseeable future. Yet few of us really understand how far reaching the consequences of the referendum might be. We are told that Brexit means Brexit but it is far from clear what Brexit means.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The presentation will assess the practical options for Brexit, and the political challenges and problems that this may generate – both within Wales and across the UK as a whole. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Scully added: “In this discussion, we will be clarifying the major questions facing the UK and Wales, identifying what those options are – and thinking about the further problems that they may create”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Assembly’s Llywydd, Elin Jones AM, said: “The impact of the Leave vote in the EU Referendum has far reaching implications for the direction of our nation and the Assembly. Wales and the Assembly will need to have strong voice and be at the table of any future discussions about the future of the UK to ensure that Welsh interests and concerns are at the heart of negotiations. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Assembly has been very active in seeking to address the implications of the EU Referendum result and set up the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee which has been tasked with looking at the impact on Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The current constitutional structures and UK internal arrangements are not sufficiently robust or formalised to do this – there need to be new, stronger and more formalised processes put in place both at inter-governmental level and at inter-parliamentary level. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I look forward to hearing the views of the panel.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The event will take place on 3rd August from 11.30am – 12.30pm at Societies 2. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​