Scottish parties unite against May's Conservatives on Brexit deal

 

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 in Downing Street in London, Britain, November 28, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Scottish political parties will unite against the Conservatives, the party of British Prime Minister Theresa May, in a rare joint front to show their anger at her plan to leave the European Union.

 

A joint motion by parties except the Conservatives in Edinburgh's devolved parliament aims to underline the ire felt in much of Scotland which voted to remain in the EU at a 2016 referendum. They say May'sBrexit deal was negotiated without taking into account their views, something the government denies.

 

The vote does not have any direct tangible bearing on the Brexit process but is a way of showing the strength of feeling over May's Brexit plans and how the parties say they are expected to damage the Scottish economy, which accounts for 8 percent of Britain's economy as a whole.

 

The group will propose a single motion opposing May's EU Withdrawal Agreement in a debate at Holyrood, which has wide-reaching powers over education, health and a portion of taxes. The only group which will not sign the motion is the Scottish Conservatives.

 

The motion will be backed by the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) and Scottish Greens and the anti-independence Labour and Liberal Democrats.

 

Scottish politics have been divided on constitutional lines since a 2014 referendum on independence, in which Scots voted by 55-45 percent to stay part of the United Kingdom. Agreement on big political issues has been extremely rare since then.

 

May visited Scotland on Wednesday in attempt to drum up public support for her Brexit deal agreed in Brussels last weekend, which she says suits all corners of Britain.

 

"The day after the Prime Minister's stage-managed visit to Scotland ... this unique and positive cooperation between four of the five parties at Holyrood indicates Scotland's strength of feeling on Brexitand the Prime Minister’s untenable position," they said in a joint statement.

 

Britain's 52-48 percent 2016 vote to leave the EU strained the ties of the four-nation United Kingdom because England and Wales voted to leave but a majority in Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay.

 

"These four parties don’t seem to get it," Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw said.

 

"The alternative to the prime minister’s deal is a no-deal scenario. It would be devastating for Britain. Yet that is what the SNP, Labour, the LibDems and the Greens are risking by opposing the deal on the table."

 

(Reporting by Elisabeth O'Leary; editing by Stephen Addison)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-30

Time for another Scottish independence referendum.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

May visited Scotland on Wednesday in attempt to drum up public support for her Brexit deal agreed in Brussels last weekend, which she says suits all corners of Britain.

 

How can she expect to drum up public support when she is too scared to even face the public, holding a two-hour closed door, stage-managed session in the factory of a Tory donor?

 

Why does she even bother with this pathetic charade? Scotland overwhelmingly rejected Brexit and continues to reject Brexit by even stronger numbers if recent polls are correct. The PM should show some courage and come clean - be honest and tell the Scots that their wishes are immaterial, their support or otherwise for Brexit is inconsequential and that they must accept whatever rUK decides for them.

Edited November 30, 20187 yr by RuamRudy

7 hours ago, meinphuket said:

Time for another Scottish independence referendum.

 

No it's not.

5 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

How can she expect to drum up public support when she is too scared to even face the public, holding a two-hour closed door, stage-managed session in the factory of a Tory donor?

 

Why does she even bother with this pathetic charade? Scotland overwhelmingly rejected Brexit and continues to reject Brexit by even stronger numbers if recent polls are correct. The PM should show some courage and come clean - be honest and tell the Scots that their wishes are immaterial, their support or otherwise for Brexit is inconsequential and that they must accept whatever rUK decides for them.

 

The wishes of those Scots who voted to remain in the EU are as material as those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who also voted to remain. The majority of the UK population that voted, including a considerable number of Scots, voted to leave. The result isn't palatable to many but certain politicians continually seek to exploit it for their own agenda, as do their supporters.

 

Scotland isn't an independent country it's part of the UK. No matter how much some like to pretend otherwise or talk it up. The Scottish parliament is glorified council. And no matter how much the SNP pretend, they don't rule the UK, and nor are they above its laws.

 

 

43 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

The wishes of those Scots who voted to remain in the EU are as material as those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who also voted to remain.

 

Scots were explicitly told in 2014 that the only way that Scotland could remain in the EU was to remain in the UK. The outcome of the 2014 referendum was partly based upon that falsehood.

 

43 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

The majority of the UK population that voted, including a considerable number of Scots, voted to leave.

What is a considerable number? More Scots voted to remain in the EU than to remain in the UK. If the wishes of the significant majority of Scots to remain in the EU can be dismissed by you so casually, why do you think there is relevance in bringing up the small number of Scots who chose isolation?

 

43 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Scotland isn't an independent country it's part of the UK. No matter how much some like to pretend otherwise or talk it up.

True - an impotent partner in an unequal union which is so skewed that the wishes of the Scots can only ever be satisfied if they are also the wishes of the English. Increasingly, they are poles apart. 

 

43 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

The Scottish parliament is glorified council.

That's the sort of arrogant ignorance I like. Please freely dish out more of such patronising drivel; it is all good for the cause. 

 

43 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

And no matter how much the SNP pretend, they don't rule the UK, and nor are they above its laws.

The SNP is not trying to stop your Brexit. If you want to drive off a cliff, so be it - but Scots don't want to take that journey with you. 

Edited November 30, 20187 yr by RuamRudy

4 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

No it's not.

Not your prerogative.

On the bright side, a Scotland in Europe outside the UK would be a worst of all possible results - the EU won't spend money on transport in England, and the Brexgland won't spend money on transport North of Newcastle (probably North of Watford The North).

 

I suppose it might be good for Scottish ship-building, and the Rosyth ferries

With the Tories ahead of Labour by 5 points in the polls, this goes some way to verifying what many suspect - Labour doesn't want to win the next election. Being in opposition is clearly the preferred option.

 

John McDonnell rules out trading Scottish independence referendum for SNP backing