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“The old union is dead”, declared Wales’ First Minister Carwyn Jones AM today, as voters go to the polls in the Scottish independence referendum.

The leader in the Senedd believes a new partnership of four nations must be built regardless of the result in Scotland.

He was speaking as he officially opened a 10,000 sq ft clothing recycling export centre in Mochdre during a tour of North Wales.

Asked what he thought of the implications of a Yes or a No vote, he said: “From my point of view a No vote would be best for Wales.

“Our voice would be diminished if Scotland were to leave the UK.

“No-one knows what the result will be. But whatever happens there will need to be a change in the Union.

“The old union is dead, effectively. We need to build a new union. A partnership of four nations and the UK constitution needs to reflect that.

“Things have changed.”

But he insists that if Scots do vote for independence, Wales should not try to follow suit.

Should Wales have its own independent referendum? What how our debate unfolded

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He said: “Wales is different to Scotland. We don’t have oil for example.

“I don’t think Scotland should be independent anyway. I hope that Scotland should stay with us.

“I think the future for Wales and Scotland is as strong autonomous nations but within the structure of the UK.”

The First Minister was speaking as he left after officially opening a clothing export centre in Glan y Wern Road, Mochdre.

Draig Tex’s centre is run by three social enterprises.

The three - Crest Co-operative, Seren Ffestiniog and Antur Waunfawr - collect unwanted clothes from Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey councils’ clothes banks and buy unwanted clothes from charity shops.

They then bale them up and sell them to customers in Europe, Pakistan and East Africa.

After unveiling a plaque and trying a spot of clothes sorting himself for a photo shoot, Mr Jones said: “What’s fantastic about this project is that it keeps money local.

“Clothes are collected, sorted and sold here. It employs people, it gives people work and all these things means it keeps money in local communities.”

Sharon Jones, Crest Co-operative chief executive, said: “It’s been five months since we opened Draig Tex.

“I am incredibly proud of what the team have achieved.

“We have created 13 new jobs locally and as at the end of August we have collected 280 tonnes of textiles.

“We are working with eleven charities and social enterprises across Wales, some of whom have multiple shops across our regions.”

Today, six containers with bales of clothes were sent off to customers in Benin Republic and the Ivory Coast among other countries.

Conwy Councillor Mike Priestley, Cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: “These clothes will be put in containers and shipped to places like Africa. Villagers come in and buy bales and sell them on.”

The rag trade in England had previously bought unwanted clothes from Wales and sold them on.

But Coun Priestley, who has donated a Burberry shirt to Draig Tex, is delighted the wealth can stay in Wales.

He said: “All this money had gone up the A55 to the north west of England but I supported the Draig Tex vision.”