In a major speech on Saturday Scottish Secretary and Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP David Mundell reiterated the value of Scotland being in the United Kingdom, questioned assertions about an independent Scotland's relationship with the EU, and warned that Scotland’s politicians need to lead the debate in a responsible manner.
Mr Mundell set out that an independent Scotland would have to negotiate its own accession to the EU and that what would be on offer would inevitably be worse that what Scotland gains from being part of the UK.
He said: “There is no certainty that countries with their own independence movements to consider, like Spain or Romania, would look favourably on an application from an independent Scotland. But even assuming hypothetically that accession were a viable option, an independent Scotland’s membership as a new joiner would not be an attractive prospect.
“All countries that have joined the EU since 1993 have been formally required to commit to adopt the single currency in due course. Would that be a good thing for Scotland’s economy? What might participation in the Schengen borderless agreement mean for Scotland’s membership of the British-Irish common travel area? Clearly, the only way to guarantee an open border between England and Scotland is to stay part of the same Union.
“And the UK’s budget rebate, which is a function of the UK’s respective shares in the EU economy and receipts, is unique and bespoke to Britain’s current membership status and not something which would be given to a new applicant.
"The fact is that an independent Scotland’s membership of the EU would be very different from the current arrangements.
“Whereas the recent GERS figures showed that through membership of the UK Scotland benefits from an annual fiscal transfer of nearly £15 billion per annum, membership of the EU for an independent Scotland would not only mean Scotland losing that UK dividend, but actually mean Scottish taxpayers having to pay in to the EU pot – and at a higher rate than they do today.
“From being a strong voice within the third largest member state, Scotland would instead be one of the EU’s smallest members. With qualified majority voting having replaced the veto in a number of key areas that would amount to a major downgrade and loss of control. On issues like agriculture and fishing, where UK-wide interests often align, and the clout of the UK has seen policy successes in the past, Scotland would be a lone voice. It is, in truth, a very different proposition from that which Remain voters in Scotland backed in June.”
On leaving the EU, Mr Mundell said: “Throughout, I have been clear that we should adopt a ‘Team UK’ approach. Working closely with the Scottish Government, and the other devolved administrations, our aim is to get the best possible deal for all parts of our United Kingdom as we leave the EU.
“For the UK Government, part of making a success of Brexit means the United Kingdom leaving the EU in one piece, and remaining in one piece after that process is complete.”
Mr Mundell stated that, on the eve of the second anniversary of the independence referendum, the arguments for Scotland remaining in the United Kingdom are stronger than ever:
“The arguments in support of Scotland’s place in the UK have got stronger, not weaker, since September 2014. And I do not think that the UK’s vote to leave the European Union does anything substantial to weaken the argument for the UK.
It certainly does not make Scottish independence any more attractive, viable or beneficial a prospect than it was in 2014. Indeed quite the reverse.”
Mr Mundell emphasised that the vital union for Scotland is the UK:
The vital Union for Scotland’s interests remains the United Kingdom, and I believe we are entering a phase full of opportunity for Scotland within the UK.
First, because of the fundamental strengths of the United Kingdom, which have endured for centuries. There are the broad shoulders of the world’s fifth-largest economy, and the pooling and sharing of resources across its constituent parts. And it is the UK’s fundamental stability, even in the context of Brexit, which makes the case for the Union so compelling.
“It is clear that full and unrestricted access to the UK single market is far more important to Scottish businesses than the EU single market. As well as providing Scotland with this essential economic stability, the Union has also proven itself to be adaptable in the face of changing circumstances.
Mr Mundell ended by making clear that the UK – and Scotland - is forging a new, outward-looking role for itself in the world:
“While Brexit will not be simple or straightforward, it does present opportunities.
We have the chance for the UK to forge a new role for itself in the world. Scotland can shape that future by playing its part as a strong and influential member of the world’s oldest and most successful Union of nations. By building on the fundamental strengths of that union, its economic and social solidarity, its strong defences, its integrated free market, its common currency, its open borders, its shared language, its family ties, its cultural heritage, Scotland can be stronger still and together we can make a success of Brexit.
Mr Mundell also warned that Scotland’s political leaders have a responsibility to take a positive approach to the country’s future: “This requires a positive and responsible approach from those in positions of responsibility. Part of that means using temperate language. Doom-mongering warnings of a ‘lost decade’ and ‘deep and severe’ damage are becoming increasingly alarmist. Objective observers might wonder if the aim is to provide bracingly frank analysis, or to try and talk up the challenges of Brexit in the hope of making Scottish independence seem less of a risk.”