Aussie trade deal another blow to Scotland

Brian Wilson (Scotsman, June 19) talks up the Australian trade deal but without giving details.

This deal has not even been published in full, nor debated in Westminster or the Scottish parliament.

As the Australian deputy prime minister said “the big winners are Australian producers and Australian farms,indeed Australia full stop", not the UK.

UK farmers are worried tariff-free, quota-free imports, eg of beef and lamb will undercut their businesses and there are many concerns over Australian safety standards, eg use of hormones.

Brexit has already cost Scotland’s economy around £4 billion and less trade is being done now than before January l.

This deal does not in any way mitigate the disastrous ongoing loss of trade from leaving the EU – the estimate is that the GDP in Scotland and UK as a whole will be three per cent lower by 2030 than it would have been without Brexit.

It seems the deal hardly benefits the UK economy at all and is another argument for independence and democratic governance which protects Scottish livelihoods and the economy.

POL YATES

Edinburgh