(Leader
of the Brexit Party Group): First Minister, there's been no
difference between how you and are speaking about
this issue. Indeed, there now seems to be little difference between
your Government and Plaid Cymru. Many fear we are sleepwalking
towards independence.
Yesterday, you sought to lay down an ultimatum to the Prime
Minister of the United Kingdom. Today, you were across nearly
every news outlet saying that you want to enforce a border
between Wales and England. Meanwhile, top travel writer, Simon
Calder, who encouraged people to holiday in Wales whilst
observing COVID restrictions, was subject to a torrent of abuse.
He said,
'The intensity of negative comments were of a magnitude I've not
experienced'.
After being called 'scum' and told to 'eff off and stay in
England', he says he won't visit Wales again. When questioned,
your Government spokesperson just replied that had refused to put in travel restrictions, despite
your calls. First Minister, will you condemn the abuse Simon
Calder received for encouraging people to visit Wales in a
COVID-compliant way, or are you taking over Plaid Cymru's
anti-English stance now that they've taken over your party's
antisemitism?
(First Minister of Wales): Well, Llywydd, the
Member could not have got it more wrong. I have done my very best
throughout the discussion about travel to make it clear that, for
me, it is not a matter of the border. It is the Prime Minister
who is forcing it to become a border matter by his refusal to act
to prevent people inside England travelling from high-incidence
to low-incidence areas and travelling beyond England. So, my
position is that I believe in the United Kingdom; I believe in a
successful United Kingdom. I regret bitterly that the Prime
Minister acts in ways that cast a doubt on that in the minds of
others. And I repeat, Llywydd, as I've said already: for me, this
is absolutely not to do with preventing people from England
coming to Wales; it is a matter of preventing anybody, anywhere
in the United Kingdom, who lives in a high-prevalence area
travelling to a low-prevalence area, anywhere in the United
Kingdom. For that to happen, we've all got to play our part. We
have those arrangements here in Wales. I want the Prime Minister
to do the same for England, because I think that supports a
successful United Kingdom, and I think not to do so undermines
those of us who want to make that case. As for Simon Calder, I
think his advice to people was naïve, but I absolutely do not
believe that people who speak on any subject should be subject to
abuse, and I regret the fact that that was the result of what he
had said. I may not agree with him, but he has every right to say
it and he has every right to be respected.
