ON St Andrew’s Day we heard Ian Blackford MP challenge the Prime Minister on the economic impact Brexit is having on the country. This challenge heard the PM emphasise his opposition to free movement, something that is having a catastrophic and ruinous impact on our NHS, care sector and many other sectors here in Scotland.

Mr Blackford went on to inform the House of Commons that a recent YouGov poll found more than 70% of Scots (56% in UK) now believe it was a mistake to leave the EU. This simply reiterates Scotland’s opposition to leaving the EU as demonstrated in 2016.

 

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The PM went on and breathtakingly suggested that “Brexit was the right thing for our country, it allows the UK to get control of our borders”. Exactly where in the country did Brexit benefit? Shortages in the labour market (drivers, nurses, care workers, fruit pickers, farm labourers, construction workers), shortages on our supermarket shelves, reams of paperwork involved in any trading, impacting businesses to its detriment. And we all remember the queues at the ferry ports to Europe.

Scotland is suffering the damaging economic consequences of Brexit (something we did not vote for), and Westminster is merely adding to them.

Catriona C Clark
Falkirk