Brexit opinion special: what the four main parties are saying

Friday was no cause for celebration for the people of Scotland.

As the UK marked the beginning of its departure from the EU, the only thing that has become clear beyond a shadow of a doubt is that the people of Scotland must be given a choice over their future.

At a time when the Tories are turning off the European light in the UK, an independent Scotland provides a beacon of hope to those who want to protect their rights as EU citizens – rights which are under threat if Scotland remains part of the UK.

Throughout this process Scotland’s voice, vote and interests have been disregarded and sidelined by a broken Westminster Tory government intent on inflicting lasting economic and social harm upon Scotland through its policies. We have been helpless passengers in a reckless drive towards the Brexit cliff-edge.

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Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, voted overwhelmingly to be an open and welcoming nation, and voted to protect the countless rights we have enjoyed and benefited from along with our EU partners.

The grim reality of Brexit is that it is far from being done. In fact, today marks the beginning of a complex and lengthy process which will see the UK government roll back on rights we have benefited from, it will continue to undermine and threaten the devolved governments, it will harm our economy and society with regressive immigration plans, and it will jeopardise the livelihoods of EU nationals who have made Scotland and the UK their home.

And with the UK government refusing outright to extend the transition period beyond the end of the year the threat of a No-Deal Brexit is still firmly on the horizon – putting thousands of jobs on the line.

In all its forms Brexit will be deeply damaging, leaving us poorer and worse off, and signalling a decline in the UK’s standing on the international stage.

That is why as the UK steps down, Scotland must have the choice to step up and play its part as a progressive and independent European nation.

Time and time again we have been told Scotland is part of a union of equals – yet instead of respecting Scotland’s democratic decision to stay in the EU, the Tories have chosen to ignore the people of Scotland and ride roughshod over the devolution settlement.

For as long as Scotland remains in the UK we will never be treated as an equal partner.

People in Scotland have consistently rejected Brexit at the ballot box, and after winning 80% of Scotland’s seats in 2019 General Election, the SNP has a cast-iron democratic mandate to give Scotland a choice.

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Yet, Boris Johnson has chosen to deny democracy and ignore the people of Scotland. His position is not only undemocratic, it is utterly unsustainable.

It is crystal clear that Scotland must have the choice over its future on being an independent country so that we can take our place alongside other independent European nations, rather than being dictated to by a detached and broken Tory government with no mandate to govern in Scotland.

Until that day comes, we ask that Europe leave a light on for Scotland.

"It has been said many times before, but there are huge opportunities from leaving the EU. That gets lost too often in the endless negativity from SNP politicians"

David Duguid, Scottish Conservative MP for Banff and Buchan:

The 2016 referendum campaign was different in Banff and Buchan than in most other parts of Scotland. Up here, there was – and still is – strong support for coming out of the EU. In fact, a study carried out by the University of East Anglia into the result found that 54% voted Leave.

Brexit appeals to voters in this area for several reasons.

For some farmers, it’s a chance to improve upon the constraints of a "one-size-fits-none" Common Agricultural Policy.

Some long-time independence supporters voted Leave because they saw little point in casting adrift from London only to remain anchored to Brussels.

And, of course, there are those in our fishing communities who are desperate to escape the shackles of the Common Fisheries Policy, which has been disastrous for Scottish fleets.

Many of those people voted Conservative in 2017 and a greater number did so last December. I campaigned very strongly in the general election on "getting Brexit sorted" and moving forward as a country.

In Scotland, the SNP took home another country-wide victory, claiming 48 seats out of its 52 on offer. 

It has been said many times before, but there are huge opportunities from leaving the EU. That gets lost too often in the endless negativity from SNP politicians.

Last week was a case in point. The UK Fisheries Bill was presented to Parliament, detailing new powers on fisheries management for Scottish Ministers – powers which were specifically asked for by the Scottish Government.

However, the reaction from the SNP Fisheries Minister was to complain that Scotland would not be leading the UK-wide negotiations.

There seems nothing that can happen at Westminster that cannot be turned into a point of grievance by the SNP. And of course, the Nationalists endlessly predict that there will be a "sell-out" of fisheries.

The SNP would like nothing more than a UK "betrayal" of our fishermen just to score political points. They are only too happy to parrot the EU spin that fishing rights will be linked to financial services and bartered away.

Unfortunately for the Nationalists, our Prime Minister and senior Ministers in the Cabinet like Aberdeen-born Michael Gove, are resolute that full UK control over access to our waters is a red line issue. And as of 11pm on Friday, under international law, the UK reclaimed its status as an independent coastal state.

Just like Norway, Iceland, The Faroe Islands, and indeed the EU itself, we will negotiate annually on reciprocal access and quota share. The key point is that we get to decide who comes in, when they come in and how much they catch.

But this is not all about fishing. Striking a good trade agreement with the EU and deals with other countries around the world will provide opportunities for other sectors of Scottish business – including our whisky industry.

I understand that many who voted Remain are unhappy about leaving the EU, and that the SNP are using the 2016 result to bolster the case for separation.

But the last thing Scotland needs is more constitutional division. There is no appetite among the Scottish public for "indyref2" any time soon.

Instead, it is time for us all to move on.

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"Slowly but surely people will see they have been sold a pup. Prepare for buyer’s remorse"

Lord Foulkes, Labour peer, and former MP and government minister:

I well recall the sense of euphoria in 1975 when the British people confirmed our membership of what we then called the Common Market by a two-thirds majority. It was then mostly Tory governments that deepened our involvement with the Maastricht Treaty and the Single European Act.

It seemed at times that only Bill Cash and the Daily Express wanted us to leave as we prospered and developed as a leading member of one of the most successful economic unions ever.

But resentment was growing within the Tory party, fuelled by myths of straight bananas and Brussels bureaucracy touted by journalists, including Boris Johnson.

David Cameron, now seen as one of the most inept PMs ever, thought he could silence the critics within his party and motormouth Farage by holding a referendum. It was a monumental mistake.

A lacklustre campaign by both the Government and the official Opposition gave the Brexiteers a victory of which they were as surprised as anyone. Corbyn must share the blame with Cameron.

As a result there followed three years of confusion and disarray. Prime Ministers came and went, parties disintegrated and a damaging division between Parliament and Government has soured our politics for years to come.

The Tories were then gifted a big majority by the foolish decision of Corbyn and Swinson to agree to an early election and a brilliant Tory campaign with the one simple message – “Get Brexit Done” – repeated incessantly.

Opposition leaders failed to point out that the Tories had not managed to do this for three years and failed also to have a simple alternative message.

We are now on a journey where no one knows the destination, least of all the Government.

Already there is a growing awareness of the dangers ahead. The Archbishop of Canterbury prays and pleads for unity. Tory MPs see the looming dangers and are trying to share responsibility for any disasters caused.

The “celebrations” in Parliament Square have been boycotted by all but the fanatics and, not just because of the lack of fireworks, are a damp squib.

Slowly but surely people will see they have been sold a pup and “buyer’s remorse” will grow.

Fisherman will realise they are not protected, tariffs and form-filling will bedevil trade, travel in Europe will get more difficult as guaranteed free health care is replaced by expensive insurance, British expats and EU immigrants in the UK will suffer continued uncertainty, and our economy will fall behind the rest of Europe.

Already those of us who believe that withdrawal was a mistake are regrouping and preparing to campaign to re-join. The European Movement is mobilising. Young people in particular are eager to restore the opportunities they believe they have lost by our departure.

When the reality of Brexit dawns, as the EU prospers and the UK declines, I believe the momentum for our return will be unstoppable. I only hope I live to see the day.

Far from being 'done', the difficult politics of Brexit may be just about to start.

Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland:

Our departure from the European Union on Friday night is not the end of the story but it is the start of a new and even more challenging chapter in the Brexit saga. The war may be over, but for those of us who still believe in a United Kingdom that is an easy trading partner with its European neighbours, there is still a peace to be won.

It is difficult to see how, in the time available, any “deal” with the remaining EU members can be anything more than a mechanism for keeping us aligned with the rules and decisions of the Union we have just left.

Last week in Brussels, the talk from civil servants in the UK Permanent Representative’s office was all about “Dynamic Alignment”. Their definition of this was less than clear, but it appeared to allow us to move in the future when the remaining 27 member states decided to move.

In fact, alignment is about far more than trade rules and regulations. Staying close to our European neighbours in cultural and scientific projects is in all our interests. It is not something that can be limited to figures on a spreadsheet.

Data protection is one small illustration of the challenges we face in negotiating a final deal with the EU. It underpins how we move information around the world – crucial for our increasingly digital economy. Securing a continuity deal on data with ongoing alignment is the right course to ensure continued growth. Even here, there are signs of frustration in Brussels as basic questions remain unanswered.

If answers about something as technocratic as data protection are difficult, what hope is there when it comes to the really contentious subjects like fishing? Many in our fishing communities were persuaded to support Brexit as it would bring back control of our own waters. After decades of mismanagement under the Common Fisheries Policy you can see the attraction. Whether or not these promises are delivered is now down to sheer political will.

We know that our former partners are not just going to walk away from fishing in UK waters and will want to exact a price if they are to do so. Will Boris Johnson and his ministers be prepared to pay the price necessary to honour their own promises, or will they reach the same conclusion as their predecessors in the 1970s, that fishing is “expendable”?

Time will tell. The problem for the Prime Minister is that time is not on his side. The decision to insist on doing a deal or leaving without one by the end of this year looks like another example of the old Etonian self-belief that led David Cameron to land us in this mess in the first place.

Commission officials will again enter the negotiations knowing that the UK team across the table have already handed them a major advantage. By the time Hogmanay comes around again, the choice is likely to be a deal that effectively keeps us aligned with the EU, or else to crash out without a deal at all.

Far from being “done”, the difficult politics of Brexit may be just about to start.