Michael Russell: Brexit impact on Scotland shows ‘experiment did not work’

It wasn’t a surprise that no Scottish Tory MSPs attended a round table with the European Movement In Scotland in Holyrood last week to discuss the impact of Brexit on Scotland.

With inflation soaring, supermarket prices and shrinkflation on the rise, the cost-of-living crisis, the impact on exports and Scottish businesses and the incoming assault on human rights legislation, as SNP president Mike Russell told the session: “The experiment did not work”.

Representatives from the SNP, Labour and the Greens made an appearance at the meeting, but there were no Tory or LibDem MSPs who deigned to show face, and only three members of the press sat in (The National, The Herald and The Scotsman).

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You would think that there would be significant interest in this issue and the impact on Scotland – what has been lost in the six years that have passed in comparison to the little, if anything, gained – but it’s a typical Tory tactic to stick your fingers in your ears and claim everything is fine.

One of the most interesting points of discussion was essentially that for pro-Europe campaigners, the focus should be on shared values and not on trade.

Russell told gathered campaigners that they should focus on the “arguments for rejoining” the EU and the benefits the relationship brings.

He added: “I think one of the many disappointing things is the position of other Westminster parties who will not accept that rejoining should be a part of the Westminster debate, and don’t even accept that being part of the single market and the Customs Union should be part of that.

“That’s a really important thing because there will be a slight improvement were we to rejoin the single market, that would require us to accept freedom of movement, which is a very valuable thing for Scotland, a very valuable thing not just incoming but outgoing as well, but if those are not on the agenda, then we have a problem.”

There wasn’t much talk about the process of rejoining, as it was a cross-party event, other than to say it should not be the focus, but independence was looming in the air, an unspoken spectre at the session.

Russell also said that the priority should be put on making the case for rejoining as a “legitimate political objective”. While this may work in Scotland, which voted 62% remain, it’s difficult to see how this would play out in the rest of the UK and, in particular, England.

When Lord Andrew Adonis (below) appeared on one of the television screens inside the committee room in the Scottish Parliament, beaming in from a London park, I was interested to hear his take, considering Labour leader Keir Starmer pivoted to a “make it work” position on Brexit in recent months.

But the peer was insistent that the UK as a whole is destined to “ultimately rejoin” the European Union. He added: “It’s so profoundly in our interest, as peace-loving, democratic, law-abiding nations, that we should be setting an example and engaging constructively with our European partners.”

However, with both current UK Westminster party leaders (Boris Johnson and Starmer) insistent on maintaining Brexit despite all its faults – it’s unclear how that could happen in practice.

For Scotland, the case is about to be made – one of the upcoming white papers the Scottish Government is preparing ahead of indyref2 will be specifically on the EU and the routes to rejoining. For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is no way out in sight.

Europe and the border issue – aside from energy and currency – is likely to be the biggest clashing point of the independence campaign. In fact, Northern Ireland, who are in a much better position economically than the rest of the UK due to the current protocol and benefits to trade, are facing being dragged further into the Brexit mess because of the Tory government’s refusal to be constructive in negotiations and decision to legislate their way around it instead.

And, as Russell pointed out, during 2014, promises were made about EU membership that pushed many to vote No.

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He told the Sunday National: “The debate about Scottish independence will include a debate about membership of the EU undoubtedly, but all the polling evidence would show that there is a substantial majority in favour. Indeed, it would also appear to be true that failing to suggest an independent Scotland as member of the EU would put some people off.

“I was talking to somebody who voted no in 2014 because they were worried about Europe, and therefore being in Europe would be a big deal for them in voting Yes.”

Although full membership to the EU immediately after independence is not likely – there are many routes to re-establish links with the bloc, through the European Economic Area (EEA), rejoining the single market but not the Customs Union – the options need to be openly and honestly discussed.

With the Unionist parties burying their heads in the sand and refusing to engage in the independence debate this week – the LibDems launched a general election candidate two years out from the ballot box – this is a ripe opportunity to get the case across that Brexit isn’t done, it can be reversed and independence is the way to do it.