THE SNP’S KEY CLAIMS... AND THE REALITY

EVEN before she had read the Brexit withdrawal agreement, Nicola Sturgeon had condemned it and vowed that her MPs would refuse to back it. The attacks continued yesterday, as she declared that it would cause unprecedented damage north of the Border and criticised the Prime Minister for ‘sidelining’ Scotland.

So what is the truth about the SNP’s key claims – and do they stand up to scrutiny? THE CLAIM: Northern Ireland is getting separate arrangements after Brexit, so Scotland should too. THE REALITY: Miss Sturgeon claims Scotland will be out of the European single market and have to compete with Northern Ireland, which will have closer ties with the single market, for jobs and investment, putting Scotland at a ‘competitive disadvantage’. She insists that Scotland should get the same differentiation as Northern Ireland. But Northern Ireland is in a very different position from Scotland. It has a land border with Ireland, which means it will be the only part of the UK that borders the European Union. It has also been somewhat overlooked in that it already has differentiation in relation to the all-Ireland energy market, the existing co-operation between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and in relation to farm subsidies and additional livestock checks at ports. There are also considerable obligations relating to the Good Friday Agreement which must be respected and, as Scottish Tory interim leader Jackson Carlaw pointed out yesterday, Northern Ireland has had ‘desperate turmoil’ in its history, which means careful attention is needed to ensure nothing happens to increase the prospect of those days returning. THE CLAIM:

The withdrawal agreement does not contain a single reference to Scotland. THE REALITY:

Shortly after the withdrawal agreement was published, Annie McGuire, who presents an obscure BBC political podcast, posted a message on social media pointing out that she had searched the entire 585-page document for the word ‘Scotland’ and found no references.

SNP politicians and activists instantly jumped on the suggestion, saying it provided proof that Scotland was not being considered.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford picked up the issue with Theresa May in the Commons yesterday, pointing out there were more than 100 mentions of Northern Ireland and asking: ‘Why not Scotland, Prime Minister?’

The answer is rather simple: most of the references to Northern Ireland came within the context of ‘Great Britain and Northern Ireland’, an entity of which Scotland is a part, while some specific references were required to Northern Ireland regarding arrangements for its land border with the European Union.

There were three mentions of England but all related to ‘the Bank of England’, while Wales was not mentioned once. If the lack of references suggests Scotland is being ignored, so too are England and Wales. THE CLAIM: The Tories are not delivering on their ‘agenda of respect’ between Westminster and Holyrood because the Scottish Government did not get to read the withdrawal agreement before it was published. THE REALITY:

Miss Sturgeon was furious that she didn’t find out details of the withdrawal agreement until after Wednesday’s crunch Cabinet meeting.

However, Mrs May was only following normal protocol. On an issue as

contentious as this, she didn’t even know if it would be signed off by her Cabinet. Only after it was approved could she share it with others. What would be the point of sharing a document that may not get through Cabinet or be altered? THE CLAIM: Scotland’s voice has been ignored. THE REALITY: Miss Sturgeon repeatedly asserts 62 per cent of Scots voted Remain, so Scotland should stay in the single market and customs union. But 55 per cent of Scots voted to stay in the UK in 2014 and that means a considerable majority of Scots are happy to remain in the UK, with the EU referendum being decided on a UK-wide basis.

Some polls indicate Scotland is not any more pro-Europe than the rest of the UK – and indeed many people appear to have voted Remain because they believed it would reduce the prospect of another independence referendum. THE CLAIM: The case for independence is growing by the day. THE REALITY:

Miss Sturgeon claims the case for independence has grown every day since the EU referendum but there is no sign that voters agree, with polls suggesting support has not significantly altered since the 2014 vote.

Miss Sturgeon wants an escape from the chaos of Brexit but her opponents would suggest that independence would unleash a whole new level of chaos on top of Brexit.

Also, Brexit is being used as the catalyst for a referendum but the truth is Scotland is even less likely now to be able quickly to become an EU member than it was in 2014 – and there is even less chance of a favourable deal.