The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Sturgeon counts cost of ‘bad deal’ by May
Claim deal could result in “loss equivalent to £1,610 per person in Scotland”
Theresa May heads to Scotland today to try to sell her Brexit deal to the public ahead of next month’s crunch vote.
On the eve of the Glasgow visit, Nicola Sturgeon said the prime minister’s “bad deal” could cost each Scot £1,610 a year.
The SNP chief said the Tory leader is “governing by threat” in her bid to impose her Brexit package on Remainvoting Scotland.
Mrs May said the agreement she has struck will protect jobs and herald a new era for Scottish exporters.
“It includes a new free trade area with no tariffs, fees, quantitative restrictions or rules of origin checks – an unprecedented economic relationship no other major economy has,” the PM said ahead of touring a Glasgow factory.
“At the same time, we will be free to strike our own trade deals around the world, providing even greater opportunity to Scottish exporters.”
She added: “Crucially, the deal also ensures we will leave EU programmes that do not work in our interests.
“So we will be out of the Common Agricultural Policy, which has failed our farmers, and out of the Common Fisheries Policy, which has so tragically failed Scotland’s coastal communities.”
She seems to have given up any attempt at governing by consensus and is now governing by threat.
NICOLA STURGEON
Mrs May is on a two-week campaign to convince MPs and voters to support the withdrawal agreement and political declaration on future trade relations she secured with the EU last week.
It would end EU-UK freedom of movement and keep Britain in a temporary customs union with its European neighbours after the end of the transition period.
That would allow tariff-free trade with the bloc, but is likely to restrict the UK’s ability to strike new deals with third countries such as the US.
The Scottish Government yesterday launched a paper on damage it is feared Mrs May’s deal would do to Scotland.
Officials said the deal could result in the “loss equivalent to £1,610 per person in Scotland compared to EU membership by 2030”. Investment in Scotland could be 7.7% lower by that date compared to if the UK stayed in the European Union, the report added.
Meanwhile, the “special deal” being put in place to prevent the return to a hard border in Ireland could leave Scotland at a “serious competitive disadvantage” to Northern Ireland.
“In short, it will make us poorer,” Ms Sturgeon said.
She added: “The prime minister has made it clear at every turn that she is not interested in compromise.
“In fact she seems to have given up any attempt at governing by consensus and is now governing by threat.”
MPs will vote on the draft Withdrawal Agreement on December 11.
Before that, Holyrood could get the chance to have its say on the proposals. There are plans for a symbolic ballot next week, when a majority of MSPs will most likely vote against it.