A LEADING academic think tank will tomorrow release a report which shows that Scottish consumers will suffer “considerably greater losses” than those in London as a result of the impact of Brexit on the country.
The report, titled The Brexit Scorecard, aims to determine the effects of Brexit now and the prospects for future.
Think tank The UK in a Changing Europe found that the impact of Brexit so far on Scotland has been “mixed”. But the report will say a combination of the falling value of sterling and lower wages mean the Brexit impact has been felt more by Scots than Londoners.
A spokesperson for The UK in a Changing Europe told the Sunday National: “The report will show that the impact of Brexit in Scotland is mixed: the fall in the exchange rate, as well as reducing real wages overall, also had some distributional consequences, with consumers in Scotland suffering considerably greater losses than those in London.’’ The study’s findings will build on a previous analysis published in February 2017, A Successful Brexit: Four Economic Tests.
One of those four tests examined the Leave campaign slogan of “Take Back Control”.
The spokesman explained: “In the area of ‘control’ it is unclear whether powers formerly exercised by the EU in areas such as agriculture, fishing and the environment will be held at Westminster or devolved to the Scottish Government.”
The first of the tests judges whether or not Brexit would make the UK better off based on levels of GDP and household income, the sustainability of public finances in areas including health and social care and the balance of the path to economic growth across industries and regions and the resilience of the economy.
The second test examined Leave campaign suggestions that Brexit could make the UK fairer.
This examined factors such as the likelihood of Brexit increasing the income and employment prospects of UK citizens and in particular younger people. it also studies access to opportunities, the reduction of regional inequalities and improvements in public services and citizen’s rights.
The third test questions whether Brexit would make the UK a more or less “open” economy and society.
An “open” Brexit, the think tank explained, would enable UK companies to build business in the EU and vice versa, while also making it easier to trade with partners outside the EU.
Openness in the Brexit process would also facilitate a flow of knowledge in research and development and maintain a liberal, flexible approach to immigration, in particular for skilled workers, students and others “who contribute to the dynamism of the UK economy and labour market”.
The “control” test will determine whether Brexit will increase democratic control at all levels of UK legislation and policy and ensure that UK politicians are responsible and accountable for decisions affecting the lives of British people.
Direct recommendations submitted in February 2017 included advising the Government to commit to producing regular reports on the four tests.
The UK in a Changing Europe have produced several independently researched texts focusing on the relationship between the UK and the EU following Brexit and the economic, political and socio-political impacts of leaving the EU.
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