THE SNP has called for an additional £1.16bn from the Treasury to help with Brexit after Northern Ireland was granted £400m yesterday.
The demand from the SNP comes after MPs repeatedly asked UK Government ministers this week why Northern Ireland appeared to be getting "the best of both worlds" when it came to Brexit, with access to the EU single Market as well as the UK, while Scotland did not.
However the Scottish Conservatives have accused the SNP of "politicising" the country's "unique circumstances", warning the party against it.
The SNP's depute leader Keith Brown said the UK Government's support for Northern Ireland is "short changing" Scotland, with a majority of voters choosing to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum.
The party argues that while Northern Ireland is getting £400m to help businesses deal with the fallout and new arrangements, Scottish firms will not have access to such support as the UK Government has not provided additional funds to through Barnett Consequentials.
Mr Brown said: "Like Northern Ireland, Scotland voted to remain in the 2016 referendum but we are being dragged out of the EU against our will.
"Boris Johnson’s hard Brexit – whether we leave with no deal or he cobbles together an almost equally catastrophic low deal – will wreak substantial damage on businesses and livelihoods.
"So where is the financial package to support Scottish businesses? We should be getting a cheque for another £1.16billion to help mitigate this Tory folly.
"No one is saying Northern Ireland doesn’t need extra help with this impending disaster but Scottish jobs are equally important and it’s only right we get our fair share.
“The Tories have already sold Scotland out by denying us a special deal with the EU but they've given one to Northern Ireland despite saying they never would.”
“Scotland is paying an outrageously high price while once again learning untrustworthy Boris Johnson cannot be relied on to do what’s right for our country.”
However a Scottish Conservative spokesman said the SNP's message was unhelpful, and said Mr Brown "should know better"
He said: "The UK Government delivered the biggest Scottish Budget ever this year and has since provided nearly £10 billion extra to the Scottish Government to tackle the pandemic.
“The SNP seem to be trying to politicise Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances for their own selfish aims.
“Given that Keith Brown was himself fighting in the British Armed Forces at the same time as his then colleagues were bravely serving in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, he should really know better than to exploit Northern Ireland’s political history.”
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