The Brexit Dilemma

by Rab Bruce’s Spider

 

Mastodon: @RabBrucesSpider1@Mastodon.Scot

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There can be no doubt that Brexit has been a disaster on so many fronts. All of the promises made by the Brexiteers have turned out to be either complete lies or, at best, wishful thinking. Recent polling suggests that a majority of UK citizens now want to rejoin, but the UK Labour Government shows no signs of being interested in this, no doubt afraid of the outrage and vitriol they would suffer at the hands of GB News, Reform and most of the UK media. With many voters now backing Nigel Farage’s Reform Company for reasons I cannot really fathom, Keir starmer seems terrified of providing them with more ammunition. In the meantime, everyone else suffers the ongoing impacts of being outside the EU.

 

Some worry that rejoining, if it ever did become an option, would result in losing sterling and needing to join the Euro. I don’t think this is much of an issue since other member countries such as Poland do not use the Euro. All a member needs to agree to is that they will use the Euro at some unspecified time in the future when they think the conditions are right.

 

But rejoining the EU is a problem for Scotland. Not in the sense that people often put forward, but in the danger that we do not become a normal, self-governing country before the UK decides that it made a major blunder. Being outside the EU is a major factor in support for Scottish independence, and if the Uk rejoins, I fear that we could lose one of the main thrusts of our argument.

 

Let me be clear that I believe Scotland should become a normal country either way, but I am sure that some voters would be less interested in supporting independence if the UK did rejoin the EU. After all, there is no doubt that the unionists would hurl the threat of being expelled once again, and that would certainly put a lot of people off even if it were not true. If the UK was a member of the EU, Scotland’s accession would not take long at all. But fear is a big motivator, and I suspect the fear of once again being out of the EU could sway opinions.

 

So, from a Yes perspective, Labour’s insistence on abiding by the alleged will of the people is probably a good thing in the long run even if it is causing major harm at the moment, especially to our importers, exporters, farmers and fishermen.

 

But we cannot rely on this situation prevailing, especially if Donald Trump imposes tariffs on UK exports to the USA. If that happens, the UK Government may be forced to re-assess the question of EU membership. So the Scottish Government needs to push ahead with whatever plans it is making. And this time, I really hope there is a plan because we cannot carry on in this limbo state much longer.

 

  

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