Meeting of the Parliament 16 May 2019
It is now nearly seven weeks on from the date on which the UK was originally expected to leave the European Union. Many of us in this place simply cannot believe that we came as close to the precipice of economic catastrophe as we did. That said, even to this very day, the UK Government will not categorically rule out leaving the EU without a deal, despite the fact that even its own analysis says that that would severely hit the Scottish economy. As we see in the media reports, the Tories are intent on putting this country through the wringer of despair yet again by attempting to resurrect May’s deal from the dead. They have learned nothing from the months and months of purgatory that they have put our citizens and our businesses through and which they are continuing to hold them in. It is clear that Westminster is incapable of finding a resolution, so I agree with the cabinet secretary—it is time to let the people decide.
Before I am tempted to get into full European Parliament election mode, I had better move on. Excluding oil and gas, in 2017, we exported £14.9 billion-worth of goods to the EU, which represented a 13.3 per cent increase on the previous year. The EU remains our fastest-growing trading partner. Of course, our biggest export success story is the food and drink sector. As recently as March this year, we learned that Scotland’s overseas food and drink exports had increased in 2018 by £293 million—an increase of 4.9 per cent—to an impressive record high of £6.3 billion. As the cabinet secretary said, the EU remains the destination for two thirds of our food exports.
Despite those impressive figures, I am pleased that the Scottish Government has shown its determination to grow our export business even more, with an ambitious growth plan that aims to increase the value of exports from the current 20 per cent of Scotland’s gross domestic product to 25 per cent of our GDP over the next 10 years.
“A Trading Nation—a plan for growing Scotland’s exports” sets out how Scotland can add about £3.5 billion to GDP and create 17,500 jobs. In the face of EU exit uncertainty, “A Trading Nation” gives a clear signal of Scotland’s ambition to remain an open, progressive nation where our businesses trade in global markets, particularly in food and drink, with extra support for that sector included in the plan.
Make no mistake, that growth, trade and aspiration will be undermined by the threat of leaving the European Union. Those who support crashing out of the EU without a deal tell us that they want the UK to trade with the rest of the world, as if that will happen by waving a magic wand. There is a very good reason why we have built a single market with our closest international neighbours: they are our closest neighbours. Having a single market with your neighbours makes it so much easier and makes much more sense for fresh products, such as Scotch lamb and beef and Scottish Salmon. It is clear that any tariffs applied to those products for sale in the EU would have a devastating impact on Scottish farmers, including those in my constituency.
Moreover, the UK Government’s planned abandonment of the free movement of people presents a real and present risk to our food and drink sector. EU immigrants make an incredible contribution to the sector, all the way through from the farm gate to processing, marketing, retail, and indeed the hospitality business. Scotland’s economy needs that constant stream of inward migration from our neighbouring countries, but that is being threatened by the UK Tory Government.
Another important area that I will touch on briefly is the European Union’s protected geographical indications. I put on record my gratitude to my colleague Emma Harper, who has raised the issue time and again in this place. PGIs are the best way to ensure that products specific to locations in Europe do not suffer from the competition of, as Mike Rumbles suggested, cheap copycats of much lower quality and non-existent provenance. PGI status ensures the integrity of Scottish products bought and sold across the entire European single market and throughout countries that have trade deals with the EU.
Of course, the only real way to retain the protected status of Scottish products is to remain in the European Union. Presiding Officer, if I could be so bold, the best way of ensuring that we remain in the EU is to vote for the SNP at next week’s European elections.
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