DAVID Mundell has said he “rejects the SNP myth” that in 2014 Scots were told voting No would ensure their EU membership.
In an interview with BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor during the Scottish Conservative conference, Mundell was asked his thoughts on indyref2.
Taylor said to the Scottish Secretary: “You said very firmly in your own speech no, but the SNP, the Scottish Government, would argue that the circumstances have changed. We’ve had Brexit, we’ve had the Brexit referendum and Scotland was told the way to stay in the EU was to stay in the UK and that has changed.”
Mundell replied: “Well I reject that SNP myth that people were told they would stay in the EU if they voted for to stay in the UK.”
READ MORE: Brian Taylor gets frustrated as Mundell backtracks on No campaign EU claim
At this point, Taylor began to sound frustrated, responding: “Ruth Davidson said it explicitly. She said it explicitly.”
Mundell then said: “What the issue was, at that time, which it is still today, is how an independent Scotland would get into the EU. But I’m very clear. We had a referendum, it was a once in a generation event. We voted decisively No and that remains the position.”
The correspondent then sounded particularly heated as he replied: “It was an explicit and implicit part of the argument of Better Together that the way to stay in the EU was to stay in the UK, it was said explicitly, I covered that referendum.
“It was said explicitly.”
Mundell concluded: “It was said in the context of David Cameron in 2013 having been very clear that there was going to be a referendum on the EU.”
Proving Mundell wrong, Twitter users shared a Better Together tweet from 2014 which said: “What is the process for removing our EU citizenship? Voting Yes. #scotdecides.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel