Holyrood votes down May’s ‘doomed’ deal

BREXIT: Result is non-binding but puts on record MSPs’ unhappiness and demands for a better alternative

Theresa May has been told to respect the will of the Scottish Parliament after MSPs voted down her deal.

The Scottish Conservatives were the only party to support the prime minister’s divorce agreement and plans for trade talks with the EU in yesterday’s vote.

SNP, Labour, Green and Lib Dem MSPs united to back a “better alternative” but the parties cannot agree what that is.

Following heated exchanges in the chamber, 92 MSPs supported the motion while 29 Tories voted against it.

Constitutional Relations Secretary Mike Russell said “each and every person (in Scotland) will suffer” from the deal.

“So forget £350 million a week more for the NHS. The reality is £30 a week less for every man, woman and child with no respite,” he said.

After the vote Mr Russell added: “The Scottish Parliament came together to say we cannot let this happen, and the UK Government must now respect today’s decisive vote.”

While the decision puts on record the Scottish Parliament’s opposition to the

“We want a better alternative, says the motion, without any clue as to what that alternative would be and how it could possibly be delivered

deal, the UK government is not legally bound to act on it.

There may, however, be political implications for not doing so and the vote will be used by independence campaigners to argue that Westminster is ignoring Scottish views.

Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins said the PM’s deal is the only credible proposal to have been tabled since the EU referendum.

He said: “Either we leave the EU on the basis of the orderly withdrawal agreement that the prime minister and her team have negotiated, or something very close to it, or we crash out of the EU on a no-deal basis that would be a disaster for the economy.”

Mr Tomkins said the motion put forward by the other parties to oppose the withdrawal plans and a no-deal Brexit is “just noise”, and that rejecting the withdrawal agreement makes a no-deal Brexit more likely.

“We want a better alternative, says the motion, without any clue as to what that alternative would be and how it could possibly be delivered,” he said.

Scottish Labour’s Neil Findlay said the prime minister’s deal is “doomed” and called for a general election.

He said the overwhelming feeling is “uncertainty” and accused the Conservatives of bringing in “utter chaos” through the EU referendum.

Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer said that by voting to reject the Brexit deal, the Scottish Parliament will “say clearly on behalf of the people of Scotland that there is a better way”.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Tavish Scott has compared the Scottish Tories to “lemmings rushing for the cliff edge” in their support of Mrs May’s Brexit deal.

Constitutional Relations Secretary Mike Russell said the UK Government must respect the vote.