Eu’LL Be WeLCOme
50 Euro politicians sign letter to Scots
A GROUP of 50 politicians from across Europe have signed a letter saying an independent Scotland would be “most welcome” as a full member of the European Union.
In the letter to Holyrood’s Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh and MSPs, the signatories pledge their support.
The group includes parliamentarians from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden, Greece, Hungary and Malta.
Signatories include German Green MEP Reinhard Hans Butikofer, Malta Labour MEP Miriam Dalli, Greek Green MP Giorgos Dimaras and Slovenian Social Democrat MEP Tanja Fajon.
The letter is also backed by Swedish Centre Party MEP Fredrick Federley, Italian MEP for the centreright The People of Freedom party Barbara Matera and French ecologist Senator Andre Gattolin.
They state: “Democracy and mutual respect are at the heart of the European project and so, while we are saddened by the vote of a small majority for the United Kingdom to leave the EU, we respect this as a democratic decision of UK citizens.
“We recognise this was not your choice, however, and that Scotland voted strongly to remain in the EU.
“The question of Scotland’s constitutional future and your relationships with the UK and the EU are for the people of Scotland to decide.
“It is not our place to tell Scotland what path you should take. We regret the UK Government have chosen to follow the path of a ‘hard Brexit’ and have so far refused to properly take into account the preferences of Scottish citizens in the withdrawal process.
“Therefore, if Scotland were to become an independent country and decided to seek to maintain EU membership, we offer our full support to ensure the transition is as swift, smooth and orderly as possible.
“Scotland would be most welcome as a full member of the EU, with your five million European citizens continuing to benefit from the rights and protections we all currently enjoy.”
MSPs have voted by 69 to 59 to seek permission for a second independence referendum but the PM Theresa May has repeatedly said “now is not the time”.
The letter was an initiative of Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer and German Green MEP Terry Reintke.
Greer said: “The only thing standing in Scotland’s way to forging links with Europe is the Westminster Government.”