Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 29 June 2022
I am genuinely grateful to the Scottish Government for bringing the debate to the chamber. It is an important debate, not least in terms of the integrity of the United Kingdom and regarding our wider relations with the European Union. In such a debate, it is tempting to re-fight old battles and revisit old arguments, whether on the Brexit vote itself, or on the never-ending saga of votes in the UK Parliament between 2017 and 2019. Opinions vary hugely in this chamber, and there were and still are passionate views about the UK’s decision to leave the EU, even six years later. There can be no doubting the seismic nature of Brexit and its impact on Scotland and the wider UK.
However, simply discussing how we got here will not take us forward. In the here and now, we should focus on three issues. The first is the state of the protocol itself and the problems that exist with its implementation. The second is the need for a settlement that protects peace in Northern Ireland and restores power sharing. The third is a genuine and sincere attempt by both the UK and the EU to reopen negotiations. I will look at each of those issues in turn.
The protocol is not working. Rightly or wrongly, regardless of what the intentions were in October 2019, whether we voted for it or not, it is not working. There are four key issues at play, and I will touch on them briefly. There are problems with current customs processes because of the checks on paperwork that have been imposed by the protocol. According to the Consumer Council, more than 100 UK retailers have now stopped supplying Northern Ireland. There is undoubtedly an impact on business. Modelling by the Fraser of Allander Institute and the University of Strathclyde shows an additional average cost of 8 to 9 per cent for goods imported into Northern Ireland.
Secondly, there are regulatory issues that place barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that could increase. Part of the problem with that is that goods that are entering Northern Ireland needed to comply with EU rules, even if they will not enter the single market.