Leanne Wood has sent a letter calling the First Minister patronising after she was compared to Jacob Rees-Mogg in First Ministers’ Questions.
The leader of Plaid Cymru said she was the victim of a “farcical personal attack” and the tone Labour ministers use towards women in the chamber is unacceptable.
She sent the letter a day after the First Ministers’ Questions – where she described the bill to leave the EU as a “dodgy deal”. The First Minster said she sounded like the staunch Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The comment caused an uproar in the Senedd.
The Government said Plaid Cymru’s response was “unfortunate” after the First Minister had given her a “genuine offer” of collaboration.
Leanne Wood argues in the letter the comment was part of a pattern of dismissive language being used towards women by the Labour frontbench.
She said: “This pattern of behaviour is demeaning our institution and the offices of state which you currently occupy.”
What was the disagreement about?
The clash between the two leaders was over the EU Withdrawal Bill which is set to come into force when Britain leaves the EU in a year’s time.
The Bill will allow the UK Parliament to approve and amend all the EU laws in our legal system when we leave the EU.
Plaid Cymru wants more EU powers returned to Wales after Brexit. Hence why Leanne Wood sees Labour agreeing to the Conservative Bill as a betrayal of Wales.
But Carwyn Jones argues the UK parliament always has had complete control over legislation regardless and Welsh laws will not be changed by the UK parliament without consent.
