SCOTLAND has lost out on £1.6 billion in funding for public services as a direct result of Brexit, the First Minister will say.
Humza Yousaf is set to deliver a speech at the London School of Economics on Tuesday which will see him take aim at the anti-EU policies supported by both the Tories and Labour.
The SNP leader will use the speech to draw a line between what he sees as the people of Scotland’s opposition to Brexit and the positions of both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Addressing the London School of Economics, the First Minister is expected to say: “A combination of the economic powers that come with independence together with EU membership will be a powerful driver of better living standards and a fairer, stronger Scottish economy.
“In Scotland, I believe there is broad public agreement that Brexit has damaged the economy and public services and that it should be reversed.
“Yet at Westminster there is agreement between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer that the UK should stay out of both the EU and the huge European Single Market – whatever the cost.”
Yousaf will lay out figures which the Scottish Government argues demonstrate that, as a direct result of Brexit, Scotland is losing out on more than £1bn of funding every year.
The SNP leader will say: “The National Institute for Economic and Social Research suggests that compared to EU membership, the UK economy was 2.5 per cent smaller in 2023, and it expects that figure to rise to 5.7 per cent in little more than 10 years’ time.
“That means £69bn could have been wiped from national income in 2023, equating to £28bn of tax revenue – £2.3bn in terms of Scotland’s population share.
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“Around 60% per cent of spending in Scotland is on devolved services. With the same level of borrowing and taxation, that means without Brexit devolved spending power for our vital public services, such as the NHS, could have been £1.6bn higher than it is today.
“In other words, Scotland has suffered an estimated £1.6bn cut that could have been invested in our NHS because of a Brexit that people in Scotland overwhelmingly rejected.
“Giving people a choice over their future with the opportunity to escape the cosy Westminster no-change consensus has never been more urgent or essential.”
Yousaf’s speech is to be titled “building prosperity through social solidarity and economic dynamism”.
The Scottish Tories claimed Yousaf was to highlight the impact of Brexit because he is “looking for any excuse to cover up the failings of the SNP government”.
Scottish Conservative finance spokesperson Liz Smith (above) said: “The reality is that if economic growth in Scotland had matched that of the rest of the UK, the SNP would have had billions more to spend on public services – and we would have been spared Shona Robison’s disastrous tax-and-axe budget.”
The speech comes as the SNP leader visits London.
On Monday, Yousaf was invited to sit down with representatives from countries from across the Arab world, including Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Libya and the Palestinian territories.
In the session on Monday evening, the First Minister discussed Scotland’s commitment to promoting human rights and reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while also touting the country’s “economic potential”.
The meeting also discussed Scotland’s renewables industries, tourism and universities.
“This evening, the First Minister attended a roundtable discussion, on invitation, with the Council of Arab Ambassadors in London,” a spokesperson for the First Minister said.
“The First Minister delivered opening remarks which focused on Scotland’s economic potential, specifically with regards to renewable energy, our world-renowned education institutes that welcome international students from across the globe, and Scotland’s growing tourism industry.
“The First Minister also outlined Scotland’s role in the world as a global citizen – citing the Scottish Government’s unwavering commitment to promoting human rights, tackling inequality, and our calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.”
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