Attitudes to idea of a separate Scotland ‘reversed’

ATTITUDES to Scottish independence have almost completely reversed on the continent after the country voted to remain in the EU, the MEP vying to become Nicola Sturgeon’s “freelance, roving Sherpa” has claimed.

Alyn Smith, launching his bid to become the SNP’s deputy leader, said that many Europeans had been suspicious of the independence push ahead of the 2014 vote but he had found that “an almost total inversion” had occurred since last month’s referendum.

Saying many Europeans now understood why some want the country to become independent, he added: “There is a recognition that we voted to remain, there is a recognition that we expect something different.

“Whatever that something different is, remains to be seen. But Brussels is good at this sort of stuff. There are ways that can be found. That will come down to political goodwill, which I believe absolutely firmly exists in spades for us.”

Mr Smith, first elected in 2004, won a standing ovation in the European Parliament when he urged fellow MEPs not to “let Scotland down” following the EU referendum, which saw Scotland vote overwhelmingly to remain but the UK vote to leave.

He said he would not “close off any option” to retaining links with Europe, including something short of EU full membership for Scotland.

However, he also declared at another point: “We need to make clear, to ourselves as a party, to Scotland and to the wider world, that we choose Europe as our future, Westminster is our past. We will never win in Westminster.”

Making his pitch, Mr Smith said he now had time to devote his energies to exploring Scotland’s future relationship with Europe, in a way that other candidates vying to become deputy leader did not.

He also spoke of his “friends” and contacts on the continent, arguing winning the SNP’s deputy leadership would add weight to his continental charm offensive.

He claimed he was offering his services to “be a freelance roving Sherpa for Nicola” by selling Scotland to Europe.