Meeting of the Parliament 15 November 2016
I welcome this 11th debate on Brexit and the discussion on the implications for our trading relationships. I also welcome the speeches that members from across the chamber have made, although I highlight the irony of Mr Brown lecturing others on trade policy after a week in which the SNP has been called “the Scottish shambles” by senior Chinese trade officials. It looks as though Mr Brown’s policy of internationalisation is finally paying off—previously, only people in Scotland referred to the SNP as a shambles; now the rest of the world is joining in.
Not only has the SNP upset global investors in Asia; it has suddenly found itself in the position of having a deeply damaged relationship with the newly elected President of the US—a new President that the SNP recently sacked as a trade ambassador and even wanted to ban from entering this country. Following a week in which the SNP has managed to damage our trading relationships with the largest and second largest economies in the world, its lectures on trade policy are wearing a bit thin.
After 11 debates on Brexit, the differences between our approach to Brexit and the approach that is taken by the SNP are clear. First, we respect and will follow the democratic vote that was taken by the UK electorate to leave the EU. Unlike the SNP, we respect the outcome of referendums. As Graham Simpson highlighted, the UK is the member state and the UK voted to leave. It is now time for the SNP to recognise that as well and to work positively with the UK Government to secure the best possible trade deal for Scotland. Last week, the Irish Government made that very point when it said that it would discuss Brexit only with the UK Government and not with the SNP.