Patricia Ferguson: I have to say to Mr Stevenson that I think that we will both have to wait and find out what the actual situation is, because the one thing that is absolutely clear is that there is no cast-iron decision on that point. [Interruption.]
Patricia Ferguson: Having noted that the Scottish Government now accepts that there will have to be a period of negotiation—I do not know whether Mr Stevenson was trying to suggest that that is not the case—I add that I am sorry that it wasted £20,000 of taxpayers’ money trying to avoid answering the simple question whether the Scottish Government had taken legal advice on EU membership, especially as we...
Patricia Ferguson: If the cabinet secretary can clarify that point, I will be happy to do so.
Patricia Ferguson: I am sorry that that is the kind of logic that has come to bear on the SNP’s position. It seems bizarre that the SNP would want to pool sovereignty in a situation in which we would lose influence. At the end of the day, influence is power. The biggest country in the EU that we would have to work with would be the UK, so let us just cut to the chase. If we do not negotiate with our near...
Patricia Ferguson: No. The Scottish Government will tell the European Union that, in our case, it should use article 48 and that it should simply allow us to join by way of a treaty amendment to be agreed by common accord by the representatives of the Governments of the 28 member states. The SNP’s argument is that the Scottish people have been members of the European Union for 40 years or so and should be...
Patricia Ferguson: No, thank you, Mr Stewart. The fact of the matter is that article 49 of the treaty is the only existing mechanism by which membership can be negotiated. Just saying that its provisions should not apply in our case does not make it so. [Interruption.]
Patricia Ferguson: The SNP also presumes that all 28 member states would be happy to allow Scotland to join the EU on its own terms, but that seems unlikely to me.
Patricia Ferguson: I have already taken a number of interventions, thank you. Let me speak more specifically of the terms of Scotland’s membership. The SNP wants—no: it demands—that Scotland automatically retain all the opt-outs that the UK enjoys, including the budget rebate, the euro opt-out and the Schengen agreement. We want high CAP payments to our farmers and high CFP quotas, as well as to keep the...
Patricia Ferguson: Will the member give way?
Patricia Ferguson: Will the member take an intervention?
Patricia Ferguson: Will the member give way?
Patricia Ferguson: As is often the case with these debates, although it has been interesting, I am not sure that it has shed any light on the arguments that we are debating. However, a number of points were made during the debate that are worth reflecting upon. I was quite surprised to hear that the convener of the European and External Relations Committee believes that Scotland has only two MEPs; the rest of...
Patricia Ferguson: If I am not mistaken, we have the working time directive. The point that is worth making is that, in the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Bill, which I think will come before Parliament in the next few weeks, the Scottish Government has the opportunity to do something about the living wage if it chooses so to do. We have heard that somehow Europe prevents that from happening, but it frankly...
Patricia Ferguson: If the cabinet secretary can illuminate us on that point, I would be grateful.
Patricia Ferguson: In my view, it would be a foolish thing to do, because, in my view, the Scottish Government has not laid before the people of Scotland all the facts that people need to make that democratic judgment. I fully respect the right of the Scottish people to exercise that judgment, and I have argued that point for many years in this Parliament, at a time when the Scottish Government was not willing...
Patricia Ferguson: If Mr Yousaf had let me finish before intervening, I would have told him that I am talking not about Scotland being denied membership, but about Scotland negotiating membership and all 28 countries having to agree on the terms of that membership. That strikes me as a difficult negotiation, particularly if the Government says that it wants to hold on to all the opt-outs—out of the euro, out...
Patricia Ferguson: Thank you, Presiding Officer. My colleague Elaine Murray made a point about political arithmetic, as I did in my opening speech, and I think that she was right to do so. I have to ask Christian Allard, if Richard Lochhead has such a hard job negotiating within the UK delegation, how on earth will the Scottish Government cope when negotiating with 28 individual fisheries ministers, all with...
Patricia Ferguson: I would like to think that the turnout for the European elections in 30 days’ time will be higher than normal and I would like to think that our speeches today will have encouraged people to take part in the debate, but I am sorry to say that I doubt very much that that will be the case.
Patricia Ferguson: I congratulate Alison Johnstone on securing this debate, which focuses the chamber’s attention on a matter of significant importance with regard to the future of Scotland’s national game. I, too, congratulate Shona Robison on her elevation to the cabinet. In my view, it is long overdue; it is a long time since sport was at the cabinet table, so I am particularly pleased that Ms Robison...
Patricia Ferguson: First, Presiding Officer, I must apologise for moving my seat and confusing everyone. Unfortunately, my lectern was not working. We all have to deal with these little technical difficulties. The motion calls on us to applaud autism-friendly theatre and cinema, which, of course, we do, but I also applaud Mark McDonald for bringing the motion to the Parliament and securing a debate on what is...