SCOTLAND's place in the Union could be “acceptable collateral damage” for Tory a no deal, a former chairman of the Scottish Conservatives has claimed
Peter Duncan, who served as an MP between 2001 and 2005 and was shadow secretary of state for Scotland under Michael Howard, said he hopes someone inside the UK negotiating team had “more than half an eye on the consequences for the Union if no trade deal can be agreed”.
READ MORE: Yes chief says SNP must ‘seize the day’ on indyref2 – or risk losing the vote
Writing in the Sunday Times, Duncan - who voted for Brexit - said that failing to reach a trade deal may be “the hammer blow that was feared for Scotland’s place within the UK”.
He said:”Declaring an interest, I voted for Brexit, and no one needs to convince me of the benefits of setting ourselves free from EU membership, but we need to maintain a clear focus on what really matters in the way this trade deal is concluded, or not.
“For Scotland, this really matters. Failure to come to terms may be a hammer blow for those who, like me, want to see the continued prosperity of the UK. In fact, it may be the hammer blow that was feared for Scotland’s place within the UK.”
The Tory urged Boris Johsnon to compromise. He said: “It seems much of the argument seems to distil down to the UK wanting the right to do something it would never want to do, and the EU wanting to prevent something that it knows is never going to happen. Given that, Scotland’s place in the Union cannot be acceptable collateral damage.”
He adds: “The trend in Scottish politics has been clearly established for a year or two. For those with the Union at heart, the prospect of a second independence referendum with a trend towards majority support for ‘yes’ needs to be arrested and reversed.
John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, told the paper there was no guarantee that a no deal Brexit could lead to a boost in support for independence.
He said: “But in truth if the UK does leave without a deal much will depend on the extent of the disruption that occurs in January and beyond and, crucially, who voters decide to blame.
“We can anticipate that Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon will lock horns on this issue in the new year, and while Nicola Sturgeon has the advantage that she is speaking to a largely pro-Remain electorate, there is no guarantee as to who will get the better of the argument.”
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