MANY people were surprised to be told by the prime minister recently that they should take “reassurance and comfort” from the fact that her government were stockpiling food and medicine in case of a no-deal Brexit.

Stockpiling of this sort usually only takes place during times of war.

The fact that such measures are being considered to deal with exiting the EU without a deal gives the strongest possible indication why this is an outcome that must be avoided.

But how did we get here? It is a consequence of Theresa May’s decision to hold a snap election in order to increase her Tory majority and secure a mandate for a hard Brexit.

Her plan backfired and she was left in control of a minority government at the mercy of hard-line Europhobic backbenchers.

She attempted to shore up her cabinet by involving leading figures from the Leave campaign. But as soon as it became apparent that securing a deal for leaving the EU was not going to be the “easiest in human history” as Dr Liam Fox claimed, Boris Johnson and David Davis resigned.

Then we have an opposition Labour party that is more interested in having a prolonged civil war than doing their job, supposedly standing up to the Tories.

Plaid Cymru has been consistent - the vote to leave the EU should be accepted but the exit should be managed in a way which does not risk serious harm to our economy.

The way to achieve this would be to leave the political structures of the EU while remaining in the economic networks of the single market and customs union, which have served us so well.

This would protect the livelihoods of the many thousands of Welsh workers whose jobs rely on frictionless trade with the EU.

It would avoid the need to stockpile food and medicine since no added regulatory checks would be required at our borders when we leave.

Crucially, it would also solve the issue of the northern Ireland border.

We live in troubled times and the actions of the Westminster parties are making a difficult situation even worse.

As Plaid Cymru’s Brexit spokesperson I will always prioritise jobs, stability and peace over ideology.

If you have any specific concerns about how Brexit could impact you and your family, or wish to discuss any other matter which concerns you, my office door is always open.