The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Work with UK to get best deal for Scotland
Sir, - I was one of many Scots who, in the aftermath of the EU referendum moved from being sceptical of the benefits of independence to somebody who was willing to consider it.
I believed and trusted Nicola Sturgeon when she said she would only act in Scotland’s interests as I assumed this would not lead to “independence at any cost”.
Things have now changed. Ms Sturgeon has earned lots of air miles and drunk lots of espresso in the capitals of Europe, but has received nothing but polite indifference from the EU.
Indeed, it is now clear that if Scotland leaves the UK it will have to apply to re-join the EU – a process which will take several years and may come with conditions such as the euro, Schengen and no rebate.
As if that was not bad enough, we would be trying simultaneously to deal with the biggest deficit in the western world while our largest trading partner, which the SNP labels as xenophobic and protectionist, will be busy building a border.
Of course, if Ms Sturgeon really was acting in Scotland’s interests she’d be able to show that these risks were acceptable and she’d have a plan to deal with our deficit.
Instead, she has done nothing but amplify any report which raises concerns about Brexit. This reached new depths when the SNP tried to scare Scots with an HM Treasury report which Ms Sturgeon had previously labelled as “scaremongering” during the EU referendum. Her positive Yes movement has transmogrified into a parody of the project fear she loathed so much.
Within this context, Ms Sturgeon’s announcement that she will publish a second Scottish independence bill is a sign that she is prepared to scare Scots into independence at any cost.
It is time Ms Sturgeon stopped this pantomime and started holding the UK Government to account to ensure we get the best possible deal. That, however, would mean working in Scotland’s best interests. Dr Scott Arthur. 27 Buckstone Gardens, Edinburgh.