Brexit: Job loss claim over 'deeply flawed' exit plan

Plans to stop following European Union rules after Brexit are "deeply flawed", the Welsh Government has said.

Counsel General Jeremy Miles said the UK government's planned approach "could result in lost jobs and lost investment in Wales".

Chancellor Sajid Javid MP has vowed to end alignment with EU rules after Brexit.

Businesses have warned that the UK government's approach could affect jobs and result in higher food prices.

But in an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Javid said the UK would not be a "rule-taker" after Brexit, urging businesses to "adjust".

He declined to specify which EU rules he wanted to drop, but said some businesses would benefit from Brexit, while others would not.

After the UK's departure from the EU on 31 January, there will be an 11-month transition period in which the UK will continue to follow EU rules and contribute to its budget.

The UK and EU are set to negotiate a new trading relationship during the transition period.

The new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has previously said the "more divergence" from the EU's rule book the "more distant the partnership" with the UK will be.

Following the Welsh Government's own analysis of the UK government's approach to the next phase of the negotiations, Mr Miles said: "The evidence is clear that the further the UK moves away from economic integration with the EU, the greater the economic damage.

"The EU has been and will continue to be our most important trading partner and many businesses depend on integrated supply chains across the EU, which require frictionless trade.

"Given the overwhelming importance of the EU to our economy, the UK must prioritise continued barrier-free access to these markets over trade arrangements with other countries."

The Neath AM said the Welsh Government would continue to challenge the approach that puts the freedom to diverge "above the well-being of the people of Wales".

"Such an approach would be deeply flawed and could result in lost jobs and lost investment in Wales," he added.

On Tuesday, assembly members will vote on whether to give consent to the proposed law put forward by Boris Johnson to enact the UK's departure from the EU on 31 January.

AMs are likely to withhold consent following the Welsh Government's recommendation that AMs should vote down the Brexit bill.

A UK government spokeswoman said: "International trade negotiations are reserved to the UK government, and we will negotiate on behalf of the whole of the UK.

"We will continue to work closely with all of the devolved administrations."