Latest big Unionist scare story destroyed by independent report

But that claim was comprehensively put to bed yesterday by an independent new report which said there were in fact more differences than similarities between the two situations – and that many of the challenges thrown up by Brexit would not be relevant in the event of a Yes vote.

Swinson claimed that Scotland breaking from the UK would be harder than the UK leaving the EU.

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But on the same day, Kirsty Hughes (pictured below), director of the Scottish Centre on European Relations has published a policy paper which demonstrates that that is not necessarily true – not least because an independent Scotland would be setting up a new state, not leaving a union of states.

Having previously evinced little engagement with constitutional history, Swinson said at the Scottish LibDems conference that Brexit was destroying “our country” – memo to her speechwriter, Scotland is a country, the UK is a unitary state.

She told the conference: “Every day as the chaos unfolds, we see how hard leaving the European Union will be.

“Every form of Brexit will make us poorer, it will put jobs at risk and it will weaken us on the global stage.

“What was supposed to be the ‘easiest trade deal in human history’ has proved to be anything but.

“Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP have learnt nothing from watching Theresa May negotiate our way out of Europe.

“Breaking a union of 40 years is destroying our country, I dread to think what dismantling a union of more than 300 years would do.”

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Far be it from us to correct her, but the European Union began in 1993. Before that it was the European Econmic Community and specifically not a “union”.

Borrowing the usual clapped-out Tory rhetoric, Swinson added: “Instead of concentrating on improving our schools and investing in mental health support, the First Minister is more interested in how she can use Brexit to break up our United Kingdom.”

Hughes candidly admits there are similarities and differences between Brexit and an independent Scotland leaving the UK – but says many of the challenges thrown up by Brexit will not be relevant in the event of a Yes vote.

She said: “Some argue that the complexity and challenges – one might add chaos and damage – of the UK leaving the EU shows how hard it is to leave a union.

“Comparing Brexit and independence is not straightforward as we still don’t know if Brexit will happen, when and in what form. Likewise we don’t know if and when there will be another independence referendum, the result, or the form of the future UK-Scotland relationship if Scotland chose independence.

“With Brexit we already see a chaotic, divided politics facing stalemate in the Commons, that some suggest starts to look like a failed state.

It’s not obvious that such a political dynamic would be replicated on independence.”

Hughes added on sovereignty: “Scotland is a country but not a state – it’s a sub-state.

“If it became independent it would clearly gain sovereignty, making the choice (if it still wished to) to apply to join the EU and pool aspects of sovereignty in doing so. So on sovereignty there are clear and distinct differences on leaving the EU and leaving the UK.”

“Scotland, if independent, would gain many more powers for the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament, compared to the current range of devolved powers.”