Sturgeon admits: an independent Scotland would face barriers to trade with the UK

19 Mar 2017

Nicola Sturgeon has conceded that her plans for independence would drive barriers between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

In an interview on the Robert Peston programme today, the First Minister admitted that, after Brexit,, “divergences” would soon be “opening up between the rules of the UK and the EU.”

The First Minister has said she wants an independent Scotland to become a member of the EU, or abide by its rules

According to Nicola Sturgeon, this would mean Scotland would be on the wrong side of a trade barrier to our biggest market in the rest of the UK.  

This was also the conclusion of the Scottish Conservatives’ own Brexit group, which said that barriers to trade and freedom of movement would open up if Scotland left the UK.

Scottish Conservative spokesman for the constitution, Adam Tomkins MSP, said:

“The First Minister has some explaining to do.

“The rest of the UK is our biggest market, and is four times as important to Scotland as the EU. Yet by her own admission, an independent Scotland abiding by EU rules would soon ‘diverge’ the UK.

“The question for the First Minister is – why is it in Scotland’s self-interest to weaken our links with our biggest market – the rest of the UK.

“The best deal for Scotland is to stay part of the United Kingdom – and to do all we can to support a new free trade agreement with the EU, so we can protect our place in our own integrated domestic market will full access to the EU single market.

“The SNP is prepared to damage Scotland’s economy purely to win the prize it has been working for all its life – separating our country in two.”

“The logic behind Nicola Sturgeon’s separation proposals is falling apart.”