Plaid Cymru’s former president, Dafydd Wigley, is tonight expected to launch a stinging attack on the UK unionist parties for allowing UKIP, a party without a single MP elected to the UK parliament, to steer the political agenda. He will describe the threat of pulling out of the EU as a course of action that will have disastrous and destabilising consequences for Wales and the nation’s economy.
Speaking ahead of his speech in Merthyr Tydfil tonight, Dafydd Wigley said:
“For UKIP, the point of holding a referendum is to pull the countries of Britain out of the EU. So I understand why those who want to turn their backs on Europe should want a referendum. I don’t want Wales, or Britain, to pull out of the EU. As I understand it, neither does Mr Cameron want the UK to pull out of the European Union; nor does Mr Miliband; nor does Mr Clegg.
“So why on earth is such a disastrous course of action – which would destabilise our industry, destroy the structures needed to deal with climate change, and be a total side-track from the major challenge of getting out of debt – being considered? Why is the UK political agenda dancing to the tune of a party which has never won a single MP at Westminster?
“If UKIP were to win a majority of seats at Westminster, of course they would have the right to call a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU. But so far that is something that they have dismally failed to do, despite Nigel Farage’s use of European funds to sustain his party.
“UKIP is a single issue party, whose answer to every question is to press the self-destruct button on European unity and co-operation. Unless Welsh voters are totally convinced in their own minds that they want to destroy the structures that have helped to ensure peace between the EU partners for most of our lifetimes, they should seriously hesitate before channelling their frustrations about aspects of European policy, into such a nihilistic course of action.”
