The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Case for independence is ‘more credible’ – Blair
Former PM claims Brexit has put break up of UK back on the table
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has said the case for Scottish independence is “much more credible” after the Brexit vote.
He warned the break-up of the UK is now “back on the table”, but said he does not want Scotland to become independent.
In a speech in London for Open Britain, Mr Blair called on proEuropeans to “rise up” and persuade Leave voters to change their minds in the face of a Conservative Government pursuing “Brexit at any cost”.
He said: “In addition to all this, there is the possibility of the break-up of the UK, narrowly avoided by the result of the Scottish referendum, but now back on the table, but this time with a context much more credible for the independence case.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “The case for independence is weaker, not stronger, now, especially with the £15 billion black hole in the Scottish public finances that would hit our NHS and schools.”
Scottish Labour Westminster spokesman Ian Murray said: “The Tory Brexit chaos has certainly given the SNP the excuse it was looking for to stoke up more grievance.
“But the reality is that the economic case for separation is even worse now than when the people of Scotland rejected it in 2014.”
Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: “Tony Blair may not be aware of it but the fact is that only around a quarter of people in Scotland want another referendum on independence now.”
SNP Europe spokesman Stephen Gethins said: “The case for independence is more compelling than ever and will only become even more so when the full impact of a Tory hard Brexit with its economic and other consequences starts to become clear.
“Tony Blair’s comments simply reflect the reality that the independence debate now is fundamentally different to the one in 2014.”
Ross Greer MSP, the Scottish Greens’ external affairs spokesman, said: “Independence would allow Scotland to stay with Europe and avoid the angry, isolated Brexit Britain planned by the Tories, one which will cost Scotland 80,000 jobs, a £2,000 drop in average wages and worse.”