MAJORITY OF SCOTS THINK TORY BREXIT “GOING BADLY”. The SNP has said the damage to UK trade from Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal is “completely unforgivable” – as exports from British ports to the EU fell by 68% in the first month.
According to reports in today’s Observer, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has warned Michael Gove that in addition to the 68% drop in exports, up to three quarters of vehicles coming to Britain from the EU were going back empty because UK companies were halting exports or facing hold ups as a result of Brexit red tape. RHA Chief Executive Richard Burnett told The Observer “I find it deeply frustrating and annoying that ministers have chosen not to listen to the industry and experts”.
It comes as a new YouGov poll revealed the overwhelming majority of Scots (62%) think Brexit has gone badly since the transition period ended on 31st December, while just 17% think it has gone well. Twenty consecutive polls have shown a majority for independence.
Commenting, SNP Shadow International Trade Secretary Drew Hendry MP said:
“It is completely unforgivable that Boris Johnson’s botched Brexit deal is having such a devastating impact on UK trade. Scottish firms are being hammered with a mountain of extra Brexit costs, red tape and barriers to trade with the EU – a market seven times the size of the UK.
“It’s no wonder the overwhelming majority of people in Scotland think Brexit is going badly. We’ve had a month of devastating chaos, which has seen the Scottish fishing industry lose millions of pounds a day, families hit with extra charges for purchasing everyday products, and small businesses across the country losing out on the trade they depend upon to survive.
“The only way to protect our place in Europe, and regain the full benefits of EU membership, is for Scotland to become an independent country. Until then, it is vital the Tory government mitigates this Brexit disaster with a multi-billion pound compensation package for Scotland and urgent measures to ease the problems our companies and communities face.
“Scotland has been completely ignored throughout the Brexit process. The Tories were repeatedly warned about these huge problems but they failed to listen. While the EU is giving Ireland €1.05 billion from its Brexit mitigation fund, Scotland has yet to receive a single penny in compensation from the UK government.
“People in Scotland have the right to decide their own future. With the damage of Brexit growing, it is clearer than ever that Scotland’s future should be in Scotland’s hands – not Boris Johnson’s.”
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