The pantomime season might be a thing of the past, but the ongoing clamor of “It’s behind you!” continues to echo through the government’s frequent claims of prioritizing economic growth. This familiar panto punchline cleverly captures the situation where everyone can see what’s happening, yet only the character on stage is feigning ignorance. The same could be said for Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and Rachel Reeves’s efforts to revitalize the economy. Both Reeves and Keir Starmer are aware of what is glaringly obvious to others: Brexit poses a considerable hurdle to Britain’s growth. Despite acknowledging this truth, they are neither admitting it publicly nor taking the necessary steps to address it.
Unfortunately, this situation is far from entertaining. Johnson’s hard Brexit has resulted in the UK stepping away from the EU, the single market, and the customs union, while also ending freedom of movement. This has tangible consequences, with people facing higher food bills and stunted growth, which in turn leads to reduced tax revenue that could have supported the NHS.
Today is the fifth anniversary of the UK’s formal exit from this significant collaboration, where countries join forces based on shared values to collectively enhance sovereignty. Yet it appears that for Starmer, Nigel Farage holds more sway over his decisions than the needs of Scotland, which greatly benefited from European freedom of movement, enriching it both culturally and economically.
Freedom of movement, to me, is not just a bargaining chip for gaining business access to the expansive single market. These benefits complement each other, boosting businesses, communities, and our esteemed universities. Allowing people to live, love, work, and study across the EU is one of the Union’s crowning achievements. Remarkably, Brexit passed despite Scotland and Northern Ireland voting strongly to remain in the EU, raising questions about the UK being a voluntary union of equal partners.
While the EU isn’t flawless, its fundamental values—human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights—are core principles I am keen to preserve and nurture. These values are facing challenges, both from within and outside the EU. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, emphasized in her speech at Davos the necessity for countries supportive of cooperation to persist in their collective efforts to uphold these values.
Many hold these principles dear, but for others, the economic repercussions are most concerning. The Scottish government has recently presented further evidence illustrating the sustained harm to trade and GDP due to a hard Brexit. It’s simply untenable to claim growth as a priority while maintaining silence about Brexit’s impact. Labour seems increasingly desperate for ideas to spur growth, all the while ignoring the damage wrought by the Brexit deal they inherited yet seem unwilling to amend meaningfully.
In my opinion, it’s time to challenge the hard Brexit agreement dominating Westminster. In the immediate future, the government must urgently clarify its aspirations from the much-discussed “reset” of relations with Europe. The Scottish government has set clear objectives, including securing an ambitious veterinary agreement to support our food and drink sector, enhancing cooperation on energy to boost investment and address climate change, and establishing a youth mobility scheme to restore educational opportunities for our young population.
Taking a bolder step toward rejoining the single market and the customs union would invigorate trade with Europe. The Scottish government is ready to partner with the UK government and the EU to achieve these goals, which would have a significant impact on daily life. I urge the government to reconsider its counterproductive red lines and strive for a truly closer relationship with our European neighbors.
Ultimately, for Scotland, the true ambition is to become an independent member state in its own right. It’s striking how EU countries similar to Scotland enjoy higher productivity and equality compared to the UK. For Ireland, many attribute its economic success to the flexibility that came with independence and EU membership.
For the rest of the UK, the journey back to EU membership seems inevitable. Surely, it is wiser to embark on this path now rather than continue enduring unnecessary economic harm.
