THE Tories’ chaotic Brexit project has already cost Scotland £3.94 billion, according to a new report from experts at Warwick University.
As Boris Johnson visits Scotland in efforts to promote the Union, the study found the country had lost £736 per head of population as a result of Brexit – with Aberdeen the worst hit at £9000 per head.
Orkney, where a pro-independence protest met the Prime Minister this morning, is estimated to be about £3813 worse off per person thanks to Scotland being taken out of the EU.
In 2016, 62% of Scots voted to remain in the EU while recent polling has shown the nation would vote by a similar percentage to rejoin the bloc.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon welcomes Boris Johnson to Scotland with two perfect tweets
The SNP’s shadow financial secretary Stephen Flynn said Johnson should apologise for leaving Scotland “billions of pounds poorer and worse off” during today’s “flying visit”.
He went on: "The evidence shows Scotland's economy has already been hit hard by Brexit, with every person the equivalent of hundreds of pounds worse off as a result. Reckless Tory plans to crash out of the EU with a bad deal or no deal in the middle of a pandemic will leave Scotland even poorer.
"The Tory Prime Minister is so arrogant and out of touch that he is visiting one of the worst-hit parts of Scotland, where people in Orkney are already thousands of pounds worse off, to boast about his government's appalling record of failure.
"Scotland has been completely ignored by Westminster throughout the Brexit process. Now, Boris Johnson is making it even worse by shutting Scotland out of the trade talks and threatening to terminate the transition period in the middle of a global pandemic.
"With the Brexit threat from Westminster growing, it's clearer than ever that the only way to protect Scotland's interests and our place in Europe is to become an independent country."
The First Minister welcomed Johnson to Scotland this morning by arguing his visit highlights the need for self-determination. There are no plans for Nicola Sturgeon to meet Johnson during his trip.
Sturgeon posted: “I welcome the PM to Scotland today. One of the key arguments for independence is the ability of Scotland to take our own decisions, rather than having our future decided by politicians we didn’t vote for, taking us down a path we haven’t chosen. His presence highlights that.”
Her comment was followed by a picture of today’s Times cartoon, which shows Johnson running toward Sturgeon over crumbling letters reading “Union”.
He is reaching out his hand and saying “I’m here to help” as every step crumbles more of the word – Sturgeon is replying “you are helping!”.
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