Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 3:03 pm on 30 October 2024.
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what Scotland’s fiscal position would be today had the United Kingdom remained a member of the European Union. (S6O-03856)
Independent researchers have tracked the fiscal and economic impacts of Brexit since the referendum in 2016. According to analysis by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, the UK economy was 2.5 per cent smaller in 2023 due to Brexit, and the gap may widen to 5.7 per cent by 2035. That equates to around £69 billion in output and £28 billion in public revenues lost in 2023. For Scotland, that is equivalent to a cut in public revenues of around £2.3 billion in 2023. That economic hole is a stark reminder of the price of Brexit.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Given Scottish voters’ overwhelming support in 2016 for remaining in the EU and the damage done to Scotland’s economy by years of continued Westminster austerity policies, does the cabinet secretary agree that it is now more important than ever for Scotland to have the powers to decide its own future?
Of course I agree with David Torrance on that point. The only route back to EU membership is through an independent Scotland, because, unfortunately, all the UK parties have abandoned their commitment to return to the EU, which is a deep regret.