[This article may also be viewed on our Facebook page]
THE current wrangling between the UK government and the EU over the terms of Brexit is exhausting to say the least.
It’s like personally watching an acrimonious and drawn-out divorce between a warring couple you happen to know.
You can’t stand either of them in truth, and just wish they settle up their differences and let everyone get on with their lives in peace.
The EU, masters of double-speak and economic blackmail, are bleating about an agreement which has apparently been broken.
The UK – no slouches in this respect themselves – have responded with a vicious counter-volley, saying tough: they’ve now got a new love interest on the go, in the form of an Internal Market.
The Internal Market bill – now going through Parliament – will seek to regulate trade between the four constituent nations post Brexit.
But what about the children after the divorce you might ask?
Well, at first glance, it would appear that the smallest children, Northern Ireland and Wales, will suffer the most.
NI has concerns about the potential chaos concerning the border with the Republic of Ireland.
And here in Wales, there are serious concerns that as part of the new bill, Westminster could diminish the Welsh Parliament, and take all the powers returning from the EU for themselves.
GWLAD flagged up some of the potential dangers in the infrastucture part of the bill, in a Welsh language article on this site yesterday.
The party have called for an urgent National Convention, which could include all pro-independence parties and groups, to formulate an united Welsh response to this threat.
But Stephen Morris, GWLAD’s Policy Director, said it was also important that people keep the bigger picture in mind at the same time.
‘The important point is this: Wales voted for Brexit, and did so because we didn’t want people in Brussels, who we didn’t elect, to call the shots over us’ he said.
‘The power the EU had is being transferred to another bunch of politicians that Wales did not elect, namely the Westminster Government.’
‘We didn’t want the EU to have these powers – so do we really want Boris Johnson and his crew to have them instead?’
‘Or wouldn’t we rather have them for ourselves, with an Independent Welsh Government, elected by the Welsh people?’
When the dust settles after the final divorce settlement between the UK and the EU, the three children, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will need to adjust to the new realities.
It might be tough to start, but as we all know, children are surprisingly resilient in such situations.
And often become more independent-minded as a result.