Scotland’s UK trade dwarfs its EU links

SCOTLAND’s trade with the rest of the UK is worth four times as much as its exports to the European Union, officials figures showed yesterday.

The UK Government said the revelation undermined SNP arguments that Scotland is better off inside the EU but outside the UK.

It follows SNP demands that Scotland be allowed to stay in the single market when the UK leaves.

Figures published by the Scottish government showed that in 2015, Scotland’s UK trade was worth almost £50billion – but it sold just £12.3billion worth of good of services to the EU.

Sales to other parts of Britain increased by £2.1billion – or 4.4 per cent – over the year, to an estimated £49.8 billion. The figures did not include offshore oil and gas.

David Mundell, the Scottish Secretary, said: ‘Today’s figures show the UK is the vital Union for Scotland, and highlight the importance of maintaining the UK market and preventing any new barriers to doing business across the UK as we leave the EU.’

He also warned that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s constant talk of a second independence referendum was damaging the Scottish economy – and called on her to ‘work with us to get the best deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK’.