Grahame reflects on leaving the EU 5 years ago

Tuesday January 28th 2025

Christine-Grahame-at-Scottish-Parliament-25th-Anniversary-Event-28.09.24-pic#1

Christine Grahame MSP writes her monthly column for Midlothian View

I am just reflecting on what has happened since we left the EU some 5 years ago, 31 January 2020.

The votes for Remain in Midlothian 62% were and indeed wherever you went on Scotland from Shetland to the Sottish/English Border not one part of Scotland voted leave. But that’s the Union that’s democracy for you.

England was 53% leave 47% remain so even South of the Border it was nip and tuck.

Now we know the British public were sold a pup: side of a bus that Boris bonus £350 million a week for the NHS, cut immigration (although the majority even before the boats were legal and continue to be so, cut red tape for businesses, no border down the Irish sea, the world waiting with open arms for our trade- all oven ready. How did that go?

The £350 million a Boris fantasy, immigration legal and illegal increased (indeed leaving the EU had made cooperation with EU countries more difficult, increases in red tape (just ask farmers and the horticultural sector) and special import rules for trade between Eire (still in the EU ) and Northern Ireland. Trade bonus?

Well, the NFUS overwhelmingly backed Remain because they knew what was coming if we left. The CBI too was one of the most vocal opponents to Brexit saying that it would dent the economy and knock living standards. Then what did they know?

Today most economists say that Brexit continues to damage the UK economy to the tune of billions. What got it through by the skin of its teeth were allegations about immigration and Boris yellow brick road. Well, we know what Dorothy found at the end of that-a wee man masquerading as a great wizard. And I don’t mean Nigel Farage.

Now what is the remedy? Some who were forceful defenders of the EU say that ship has sailed. To continue the metaphor, a ship can change course especially if the sea is stormy and you can see the rocks ahead. That’s what we should do.

The UK wont but Scotland as an independent nation can and let’s have no nonsense about it taking it decades or worse that we would not be welcome. Our laws are aligned with the EU. We are an energy a rich nation. Our history with Europe differs from that of England. Good grief Mary Queen of Scots first language was French! We would rejoin with those 27 other nations.

Rejoining can’t come soon enough. In the years of Trumpland we need a strong EU both politically and economically, not watching painfully as the UK Prime Minister genuflects to that egotist out of desperation to avoid tariffs.

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