The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has reacted to the latest votes in the House of Commons, again arguing that Article 50 must be revoked.
The group was responding to the latest set of ‘indicative votes’, held yesterday (Monday, April 1). MPs were faced with four options that may have found a way forward on the Brexit impasse.
Of these options, non were accepted. The motion to suffer the heaviest defeat would have resulted in the revoking of Article 50 if no other solution could be found.
However, the FUW has said that revoking Article 50 is ultimately the “only safe way” to respect last month’s decision by parliament to avoid a no-deal.
“We are facing a national emergency in the form of a no-deal Brexit which is just days away,” said Glyn Roberts, president of the FUW.
He added: “MPs have failed to reach an agreement on a number of options, but the one thing that the UK parliament has rejected overwhelmingly is a no-deal Brexit, so this cannot be allowed to happen.”
He argued that revocation was the only way to ensure that parliament had enough time to arrive at a consensus; at present the UK is due to leave the EU without a deal on April 12.
Later today (Tuesday, April 2), the FUW is holding an emergency meeting of its committee chairs and its presidential team to consider if there should be any changes to the group’s Brexit policy.
The FUW is considering a number of possibilities, including whether or not to call for a second referendum, or even for parliament to be dissolved and a new election.
“Our democratically elected members will consider the union’s policy based on the facts and the diabolical situation that the country finds itself in, on the edge of an economic cliff,” said Roberts.
He concluded by saying: “Whatever they or MPs decide is the best way forward, Article 50 revocation is the only sure way to move us away from the cliff edge and give us the breathing space we need without having to seek the agreement of the rest of the EU.”
