The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Earthy language’ is included in report on Brexit’s rural impact
Workshop participants reveal feelings about leaving the EU
An official report on the impact of Brexit on rural Scotland has included the quote: “We are f ***** ”, it can be revealed.
A document published by Scottish Rural Action (SRA) featured a side banner on page four with the statement.
It was one of a number of banners attributed to participants in a workshop which asked them to imagine what newspaper headlines they might expect to see after Brexit.
Amanda Burgauer, SRA chairwoman, said that the exercise had been used as an “icebreaker” and several of the participants had used “earthy language” in describing their feelings towards Brexit.
The comments are only explained on the following page, stating they had been put forward by those taking part in the workshop event.
Ms Burgauer said that she would flag up the “design and layout” issue with the SRA design team.
The report is to be launched at an event with Scottish Government cabinet secretaries Mike Russell and Richard Lochhead in Elgin on Monday. It detailed the potential impact of Brexit on rural Scotland, suggesting that it could lead to “21st Century clearances”, with a loss of freedom of movement resulting in significant depopulation.
Further concerns raised in the report, taken from conversations with rural communities, also included the risk of EU funding being lost post-Brexit and potential damage to social cohesion.
Speaking about the report overall, Ms Burgauer said: “This report is about giving voice to a rural point of view that is rooted in Scotland’s people and places, rather than its rural industries.”
She added: “There is widespread anger and frustration across rural Scotland, but that anger isn’t solely about Brexit.
“It was clear from workshop discussions that Brexit is compounding long-standing concerns about rural equity and fragility.
“Brexit was described as the ‘straw that breaks rural Scotland’s back’, with people pointing to structural fragilities across rural communities.
“Participants generally believed that a historic over-reliance on EU funding to ‘prop-up’ rural areas makes rural Scotland particularly exposed to future loss of EU support.”
It was clear from workshop discussions that Brexit is compounding long-standing concerns about rural equity and fragility.
AMANDA BURGAUER