UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 13 March 2018.

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Photo of Michael Russell Michael Russell Scottish National Party

I always welcome bouncing enthusiasm wherever I see it. I used to have bouncing enthusiasm myself. It seems a long time ago, but that is what I used to have. [

Interruption

.] Mr Findlay does not believe me, but then he has not known me as long as some other people in this chamber have.

The reality is that there may be other ways to do this—there may be ways to do it that expedite it more—but I am in agreement that we should endeavour to have the maximum level of scrutiny. Let us try to find a way to do so.

I want to repeat something that Sandra White said in this debate, which is that there are 381 days until exit day. Even if there is a transition period, it is likely to last for less than two years beyond that, so there is an urgency to getting these issues resolved. We have to balance that urgency with the need for scrutiny, and we and, I am sure, the whole chamber will endeavour to do so. That 381 days deadline should concentrate our minds in the chaos and confusion of Brexit, which is being driven forward by the Conservatives. It is a black hole, absorbing energy and money. We know from the chancellor’s statement this afternoon that growth is collapsing. From the figures that the UK Government has produced we know that economic decline beckons us, and the Tories know that to be true.

There are very few original Brexiteers on the Conservative benches. We heard from Mr Simpson, who was one of them and whose views have not changed, but there are others who have been dragged into this position. I ask those members to pause for a second to consider what is in the interests of Scotland and not the interests of the Conservative Party, because Scotland’s democratic will was shown in the referendum and it continues to be shown. Scotland does not want to be dragged out of Europe against its will. Therefore, we should question the position of the Conservatives this afternoon, in which they have endeavoured to ensure that the Tory interest comes before Scotland’s interest. We should question it this evening when we consider each of the amendments and we should go on questioning it.

At the heart of that is an issue that Mr Tomkins—