European Union Exit Preparations

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 18 December 2018.

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Photo of Michael Russell Michael Russell Scottish National Party

It is sad to see the state to which Professor Tomkins has come. This is a very serious situation that needs to be treated with gravity. It is a situation that is not the making of this Parliament, of the people of Scotland or of any of the parties here—except Professor Tomkins’s party, which has created the problem. Yet, the only response to the situation that we get from the Tories is that they get up to blame somebody else. [

Laughter

.]

I hope that people who are listening to the debate will hear that the response to this very grave and serious situation from the Tory front-bench members is that they cackle.

“Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools.”

That is a quotation from the Bible, Presiding Officer, in case you were going to upbraid me for saying it.

I say to Professor Tomkins that the UK Cabinet spent this entire morning talking about a no-deal outcome, and is now sending letters to 146,000 businesses. I understand that the Brexit secretary was talking today about the disaster that could take place. [

Interruption

.] However, that does not matter, because for Professor Tomkins—who is still shouting into the air—it is always because of something other than the Tories. The Tories have got us into this mess, but it is clear that they cannot get us out of it.