Researchers based in Scotland and Europe can apply to a new £3 million scheme aimed at repairing research links with the EU following the damaging impact of Brexit.
Hundreds of European research and innovation projects are expected to benefit from the Scottish Government’s Saltire Research Awards.
The fund, delivered via the Scottish Funding Council and Royal Society of Edinburgh, will be open to all research disciplines including arts, humanities and social sciences and multidisciplinary projects.
Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn (above) said: “Scotland’s excellence in research and innovation is one of our greatest assets and our international connections are vital to maintaining and extending this.
“Many of our most effective collaborations are with partners in Europe and our new £3 million fund will help Scotland reinvigorate and repair vital research partnerships with Europe following the uncertainty caused by Brexit in recent years. This is crucial especially for our successful participation in Horizon Europe.
“Research collaboration has been crucial during the pandemic and will continue to be critical in addressing the net zero transition and other global challenges. Scotland’s future continues to firmly include European research collaboration and now is the time to help our researchers grow these important partnerships.”
Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “Collaboration with European institutions has been vital for Scotland’s world-leading status in university research and their success in winning European research grants and contracts.
“The funding announced today will help keep those research partnerships going and enable us to attract top international research talent.
“We very much welcome this funding and look forward to the impact it will have across the sector.”
Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, interim President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh said: “Programmes such as the Saltire Research Awards play an important role in supporting research excellence and maintaining Scotland’s reputation as a world leader in research.
“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to making the awards a success”.
Which? is calling on the government and businesses to make the new costs of buying from EU-based retailers clear and increase the public’s awareness of these changes so consumers are not left with unexpected fees or scammed into paying unnecessary charges.
For many consumers, import charges and confusing returns policies have made shopping with EU retailers after Brexit much more difficult than it used to be.
According to a Which? survey of more than 2,000 members of the public, two in five (42%) people who ordered products online between the end of the Brexit transition period on 1 January and 16 February experienced some issues.
While delays were the most common issue cited by those who ordered products online – with one in four people (24%) experiencing delays – the consumer champion’s research revealed that one in ten people (11%) have been asked to pay additional handling or delivery fees.
Which?’s survey showed the average charge was £41, with some people paying up to £300.
A lack of clear, accessible and well signposted information on how online shopping has been affected since the end of the Brexit transition period means many of these new charges and processes haven’t been communicated clearly and have come as a shock to consumers.
Which? is calling on the government and businesses to make these new costs clear to consumers so they are not left out of pocket.
The government must work to make the processes for how these costs are charged as simple as possible for both businesses and consumers. Businesses must also be upfront about whether the item is being imported from outside the EU and the charges consumers will have to pay if this is the case.
Which? has received multiple queries from consumers on this issue and has regularly published the most up to date information available on the charges consumers can expect when shopping from the EU.
Currently, UK shoppers are charged VAT at 20 per cent, which is applied to most goods. If the total cost of the order is more than £135 or a gift is over £39, VAT is often collected at point of delivery.
Online shoppers who buy items from the EU which originate from further afield – for example, from a seller based in China on an EU platform – and cost more than £135 will also have to pay additional customs duties. This is because the product originates from outside the EU, so the zero-tariff preference between the UK and EU does not apply.
The rules differ for shoppers in Northern Ireland due to its unique position of remaining within the EU’s Single Market, meaning it remains aligned with EU VAT rules for goods.
UK consumers can also be charged additional delivery fees for items from the EU. Each courier has a different policy on what they charge and how they ask you to pay.
Simon Potthast, a musician and producer, ordered a software and hardware package costing £603 from music production company Ableton for work. He then got an email from UPS when the parcel reached the UK port of entry saying there were import fees due for £112.55.
Ableton, who are based in Germany, added a message to the checkout on their website on 16th February 2021 warning that their physical products do not include VAT for UK consumers and that there may be a small paperwork fee on delivery. These fees would also apply to products brought from other companies in the EU.
However, when Simon placed his order on 18th March, he didn’t realise his order was being shipped from Germany or that he would incur additional charges.
He said: “I’ll be more careful now. If I’d known about the charges I would have found a UK distributor for the items so all the charges would have been included when I paid.”
There is also a risk that without clarity around the charges consumers should expect when shopping from the EU, people could be misled or scammed into paying extra costs.
A recent surge in ‘Royal Mail’ scam texts claiming that a parcel is being held due to an unpaid shipping fee shows that fraudsters are taking advantage of consumers’ uncertainty over post-Brexit import charges.
If in any doubt over texts or emails from courier services, consumers should not enter any personal details and should contact the delivery firm directly to confirm if it is genuine. Suspicious texts or emails can be reported to the courier and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Some shoppers have also experienced difficulties when returning items to the EU. Which?’s research found an overwhelming nine in ten (87%) people who have returned items between 1 January and 16 February have experienced issues such as delays, unexpected paperwork or extra charges.
To make a return to the EU, consumers now need to complete a customs declaration form and to include the item’s description, weight and value. The customs charge is paid for by the recipient upon delivery.
However, this new process has not been made clear by all retailers, leaving some consumers unsure of how to send items back.
Daniele from Worthing had a frustrating experience with Footlocker EU, based in the Netherlands, after trying to return a pair of trainers that were initially delayed at customs.
UPS told him to fill out a returns form but he couldn’t find one on Footlocker’s website. He found a form on UPS’ website but was still unclear how to fill it out.
Eventually, he received help from UPS, but Daniele was disappointed with Footlocker’s service: “Retailers really need to have something in place to assist us – did I really need to go through all of this just to return something?”
Brexit has affected many aspects of how UK consumers interact with EU merchants. For example, if consumers have an issue with a product bought from an EU-based business – because it’s faulty or the pricing was misleading – they are very unlikely to be able to enforce their consumer rights through the UK courts as was previously the case. They may need to pursue the issue with consumer protection authorities or through the courts in the country where the business is based.
UK authorities will also no longer be able to take part in coordinated enforcement activities against companies who breach the law in multiple markets or have access to the same level of intelligence from the EU.
In Which?’s Beyond the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Priorities for consumers paper, the consumer champion details what the Trade and Cooperation Agreement means for UK consumers in a number of key areas and how the government should prioritise consumer interests.
Adam French, Which? Consumer Rights Expert said: “Many consumers across the UK could have been surprised to learn how often they buy from EU based retailers. After Brexit, many were caught off-guard by the new delivery charges and returns policies for parcels from the EU – and left footing unexpected bills.
“Which? is calling on the government to make these charges clear for consumers so they are not surprised by the costs or, more concerningly, misled or scammed into paying extra charges. Businesses must also be up front about any extra charges so consumers can continue to shop across the border without any unnecessary complications.”
The Scottish Parliament’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee has stated that the societal and economic impact of Brexit is likely to intensify as Scotland begins to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a legacy report published on Friday, the Committee says scrutiny of the UK’s evolving relationship with the EU should be an early and urgent priority for a successor Committee.
The report highlights that alignment with the EU regulatory regime will be a key scrutiny challenge going forward. Monitoring EU policy and legislative developments will be necessary to determine how aligned future Scottish Governments will remain with the EU.
The Committee considers that Brexit has resulted in UK legislation re-shaping devolution and increased the complexity of the devolved settlement.
Evidence taken by the Committee in 2021 also reveals the substantial impact on key sectors of the economy due to the new trading relationship and this is likely to intensify in the coming months.
The combined impact of Brexit and Covid-19, the report says, has created significant challenges across the economy with the impact felt hardest by small and medium-sized businesses.
The report also highlights the significant impact of the pandemic on the cultural sector, specifically the viability of cultural venues and the need for a strategy to ensure they emerge sustainably from the pandemic. The Committee recognises the increased financial pressures facing the arts and recommends further monitoring to make sure funds are adequately supporting the sector.
The February 2021 announcement of an extra £9m for the Creative Freelancers Hardship Fund was welcomed but the Committee has stressed that more support is needed.
Another key area of scrutiny within the Committee’s culture remit was the Glasgow School of Art inquiry, which determined that the school did not specifically address the risk of fire to the Mackintosh building despite risks being identified.
The Committee understands work is ongoing by the Scottish Government to carry out a fire mitigation review of publicly-owned A listed buildings and recommends its successor seek an update on the progress of this work.
The Committee repeated its call for the Scottish Government to establish a public inquiry with judicial powers into the 2014 and 2018 fires at the Glasgow School of Art.
Speaking as the report was published, Committee Convener Joan McAlpine MSP said:“The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union has been a key area of focus for the Committee in Session Five.
“It has become abundantly clear that, although we have left the EU, there are still very real concerns and issues that will continue to affect Scotland in the years ahead.
“Moving into the post-Brexit reality, the Committee wants to see the Scottish Parliament and Government represented in the governance structures established by the new EU-UK relationship in order to ensure that Scotland’s voice is heard, especially when it comes to the impact of the Agreement on devolution”.
Ms McAlpine added:“The 2014 and 2018 Glasgow School of Art fires were of significant concern to the Committee because of the global, architectural significance of the Mackintosh building.
“We urge the Scottish Government, once the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service investigation has been completed, to undertake a public inquiry with judicial powers to understand what went wrong in Glasgow, explore the risks posed by fire to historic buildings and the ability of custodians to effectively manage properties to prevent such tragedies happening again in the future.”
Deputy Convener Claire Baker MSP said:“It is difficult to overstate the immense impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Scotland’s cultural sector.
“The Committee is acutely aware that this sector depends upon an extensive network of freelancers, many of whom could not access government support during the pandemic as they did not meet the eligibility criteria.
“Additional financial support announced by the Scottish Government in recent weeks is welcome, but it is clear that more needs to be done to support this important but vulnerable group.”
Scotland’s ability to legislate in areas such as food, health and environmental standards is being undermined in a “systematic attack” on devolution, according to Constitution Secretary Michael Russell.
A report published yesterday by the Scottish Government shows the extent to which the Scottish Parliament’s devolved powers are being eroded by the UK Government following the 2016 Brexit vote.
AFTER BREXIT: The UK Internal Market Act & Devolution sets out how:
the Scottish Parliament’s views on Brexit have been ignored by the UK Government
terms of reference designed to agree Brexit negotiating objectives among the UK’s four governments were disregarded
the UK Government and Parliament now regularly legislate in devolved policy areas and adjust the powers of the Scottish Parliament without the consent of the Scottish Parliament
UK Government Ministers have taken powers to spend in devolved areas
Most notably, the recently passed UK Internal Market Act allows the UK Government to in effect impose standards in a large number of areas that are devolved.
It means the Scottish Parliament could have its hands tied if it wants to stop the sale of hormone injected beef, regulate food content to prevent obesity or ban single-use plastics to protect the environment, the report sets out
The report also details how the Act is being used by the UK Government to divert funding that would otherwise come to the Scottish Parliament to decide how it should be spent.
One example is the UK Government administered Levelling Up Fund for infrastructure projects, which is bypassing any Scottish Parliament involvement in around £400 million of expected consequential funding.
Additionally UK Government Ministers now have the power to extend to Scotland’s NHS the controversial market access principles that the Act introduces.
Mr Russell added: “Devolution has helped to move Scotland forward, building on the fundamental principle that the Parliament and Government elected by the Scottish people should make decisions for Scotland.
“But since the Brexit vote there has been a systematic attack on the Scottish Parliament’s powers, fundamentally undermining devolution.
“Bit by bit, the settlement that secured 74% support in the 1997 devolution referendum, is being unpicked under the cover of Brexit and without the consent of Scottish people.
“This is not a big bang abolition – it is instead the slow demise of devolution in the hope that no-one will notice.
“The UK Government has signalled its desire is to ‘undo’ devolution and it is now repeatedly using its majority at Westminster to impose laws in devolved policy areas.
“Most alarming of all, the Internal Market Act has substantially weakened the Scottish Parliament’s powers.
“The Act is going to have a very real impact on everyone in Scotland. The Scottish Parliament’s ability to ensure high levels of food standards and stop the sale of single-use plastics could be rendered obsolete – undoing devolution and undermining Scotland’s ability to directly shape its future.
“UK Government Ministers also now have the power, at a stroke of their pen, to subject Scotland’s NHS to the market access principles the Act introduces.
“That is why we will continue to resist the damaging effects of this Act in every way possible, and why we are bringing forward an independence referendum Bill – to keep Scottish powers in the hands of the Scottish people.”
The EU Delegation launches legal advice surgeries to assist charitable organisations, local authorities and local communities in the UK help EU citizens. These complement a range of other free services and products, including information sessions and a range of target-group specific leaflets available in all EU languages.
EU citizens, who arrived in the UK before 31 December 2020 and intend to stay, only have until 30 June 2021 to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).
UK central and local authorities, as well as civil society organisations, have already put huge efforts into supporting EU residents in their communities, but this has been made more difficult by the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
As of 31 January 2021, over five million EU citizens and family members have successfully applied to the EU Settlement Scheme. However, application rates remain lower in particular areas and among certain groups of people, especially the most vulnerable who are hardest-to-reach and may have difficulties applying.
Free advice surgeries are now here to help, offering one-on-one individual support. They can help make applications to the EU Settlement Scheme and indicate additional support organisations if further assistance is required.
Charitable organisations, local councils and local community groups that commit to scheduling a surgery for at least 10 vulnerable or complex case citizens can make a request to host surgeries.
During the ongoing health pandemic, support can be delivered by phone, WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime, Zoom or any other platform of choice.
Free 90-minute information sessions for groups of citizens, providing a short presentation on the EU Settlement Scheme and an extended Q&A session, continue to be available. These can also be delivered through online platforms and can accommodate a general or target a specific audience.
Complementing these services, the EU Delegation can deliver free print publications on the EU Settlement Scheme and citizens’ rights in all EU languages anywhere in the UK. Target group specific leaflets for senior citizens, parents, non EU-family members and for joining family members are also available free of charge.
Holyrood needs to define more clearly its scrutiny role in response to Brexit, according to a new report to be discussed by the Finance & Constitution Committee this week.
A panel of fiscal, economic and constitutional experts says devolution is now much more complex, with its recent fiscal powers and post-Brexit changes, that the Scottish Parliament must change its approach to scrutiny after the 2021 election.
The panel recommends that to support this work a short, tightly focused independent review of the committee structure should be established, to report back to Parliament as soon as possible.
The focus of the review should be on committee remits in the next Parliament and should include consideration of the fiscal and Brexit-related issues raised by the experts, along with the legacy reports of other committees.
Holyrood’s Finance & Constitution Committee, who commissioned the expert panel’s analysis, will consider the findings this week.
Expert panel member Professor James Mitchell, University of Edinburgh said:“Devolution is now much more complex and challenging to understand with the powers of Scottish Ministers shared with UK Ministers in many significant policy areas.
“For example, in relation to income tax and in many policy areas previously within the competence of the EU. This means that the Parliament will need to be much more aware of how UK legislation impacts on devolved areas including the extent to which it constrains the powers of Scottish Ministers.
“At the same time the Parliament will need to continue to scrutinise policy developments at an EU level. Both in terms of the on-going impact of the UK-EU trade agreement on devolved areas and the extent to which the keeping pace power is used.”
Setting out the expert panel’s recommendations, Charlotte Barbour, Director of Taxation, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland said:“The Panel’s view is that if there is to be meaningful scrutiny of Brexit-related developments, the Parliament cannot merely continue with the existing approach to its scrutiny function.
“The future scrutiny burden arising from Brexit is so great that if it is carried out in an ad-hoc manner it is unlikely that it will be done effectively.
“Instead, a more systematic and carefully planned approach is required, albeit with a need for flexibility in order to react to changing circumstances. The Panel, therefore, recommends that Parliament in consultation with the Scottish Government needs to clearly define its scrutiny role in response to Brexit.
“To support this work, we propose that a short and tightly focused independent review of the committee structure should be established forthwith and report to the Parliament as soon as practically possible.
“The focus of the review should be on committee remits in the next Parliament and should include consideration of the issues raised in this report and the legacy reports of other committees.
“The review findings should help to inform the agreement of the committee structure and committee remits for Session 6.”
The expert panel also made recommendations for the committee that will succeed the Finance & Constitution Committee after the May 2021 election:
• The Panel’s view is that there is likely to be an increased demand for parliamentary time to consider tax legislation and therefore the ongoing work of the Devolved Taxes Legislative Working Group should be an early priority in Session 6.
• The Panel agreed the successor committee should explore how COVID-19 has impacted the taxation system and consider options for a restructuring of the taxes which are devolved including a human-rights based approach. The Panel recommends that this inquiry should be a priority for the successor committee.
Finance & Constitution Committee Convener Bruce Crawford MSP said: “The calibre of our expert panel speaks volumes. I welcome this insightful, authoritative analysis.
“There is much for our committee and the rest of the Parliament to consider. I am sure it will be influential on the establishment of committees in the new Parliament.”
• The devolution of further powers through the Scotland Act 2016, following the recommendations of the Smith Commission. • The operation of the UK/Scottish Government’s Fiscal Framework including in response to COVID-19. • The constitutional impact of Brexit on devolution.
The panel members, in alphabetical order, are:
• Charlotte Barbour, Director of Taxation, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland • Douglas Fraser, Business & Economy Editor, BBC Scotland • Professor Michael Keating, Centre on Constitutional Change • Professor James Mitchell, University of Edinburgh • Christine O’Neill QC, Chairman, Brodies LLP • Mairi Spowage, Deputy Director, Fraser of Allander Institute • Mark Taylor, Audit Director Audit Scotland • Dr Hannah White, Deputy Director, Institute of Government.
They were joined by Professor Tom Mullen, Professor Kenneth Armstrong and David Phillips who are Advisers to the Finance & Constitution Committee. Dr Jim Johnston, Clerk to the Committee, chaired the panel and support was provided by parliament officials.
Find more information about the Finance & Constitution Committee here.
The current trade disruption between the UK and the EU is the result of ignoring expert advice and a chaotic information campaign, which must urgently be solved in three steps, says leading London accountancy firm Blick Rothenberg.
Alex Altmann, a partner and head of the firm’s Brexit advisory group, says: “We warned about serious disruptions many months ago and advised the Government to introduce an implementation phase for businesses to cope with the new customs formalities.
“The foolishness and amateurism of the Government’s approach has created existential threats to many businesses on both sides that currently struggle to trade with each other. The disruptions must urgently be solved in three steps.
“First, the Government must temporarily relax the requirement for EU traders to have an office in the UK to import goods, and subsequently ask the EU commission to do the same. The most serious problem today is that businesses without a presence in the other market cannot import their goods without appointing a customs agent.
“ This is how the new customs rules have been designed by the UK and the EU as part of the Brexit deal. This is a serious flaw. Customs agents are rare and very expensive and the UK currently requires about 20,000 more agents to meet demand. The Government should take this step very urgently to avoid a major supply chain disaster in the weeks ahead.”
Altmann added: “Second, the Government needs to admit that their expensive Brexit information campaign has not prepared businesses well enough for the new trade relationship with the EU. The guidance provided by the UK Government contains conflicting information, not enough detail, and to some extent, wrong advice.
“This has become particularly apparent with regards to the new border situation with Northern Ireland. It has become clear that the Government’s guidance has not been drafted by trade and customs experts, which is a serious shortcoming.
“The Government must take a step back now and relax the rules for the time being, while redrafting guidance and advisory papers based on the final Brexit deal arrangements. This is the only way to overcome the misinformation and provide traders and freight carriers with the confidence they need to sell cross-border.”
Altmann, who is also a Chairman at the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany said: “ “Thirdly, there are some serious flaws in the Brexit trade deal that the Government must put high up on the agenda to clarify and potentially renegotiate with the EU.
“ One area that continues to create confusion among traders and their freight carriers is the new rules of origin provision. The Government presented the Brexit deal as a tariff and quota free agreement. This is only partly true. Tariffs still apply in the normal way for manufactured goods which contain more than 40 percent of ingredients with origins outside the UK or EU.
“There is no guidance of how businesses should calculate and document the origin analysis. This is causing major disruptions to supply chains. Again, we recommend that the new rules of origin are temporarily paused until there is sufficient guidance and expertise available to work this out.”
INDEPENDENCE ‘THE ONLY WAY’ TO SECURE SCOTLAND’S PLACE IN THE EU
The SNP has challenged Willie Rennie to say whether he backs his London bosses, after UK Lib Dem leader Ed Davey confirmed that his party would abandon any attempts to rejoin the EU, joining Labour and the Tories in becoming a pro-Brexit party.
In an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr, he said that the Lib Dems are “not a rejoin party” – despite promising to voters in their 2019 General Election manifesto that every vote for the party was a “vote to stop Brexit and stay in the European Union”.
The move confirms the SNP as the only major party committed to reversing Brexit and securing Scotland’s membership of the EU.
SNP candidate for Edinburgh Western, Sarah Masson, said: “The Lib Dems have firmly joined the Tories and Labour in becoming pro-Brexit parties, making it crystal clear that the only way to protect Scotland’s interests and secure our place in the EU is to become an independent country.
“With the Lib Dems delivering another trademark U-turn, Willie Rennie must end the silence and clarify whether he stands by his previous pledge to ‘pursue re-entry’ to the EU – and if so, how he squares that with his UK colleagues’ policy – or if it was all hollow rhetoric and he will simply now fall into line and accept the devastating impact Brexit is having on Scottish businesses, including our vital fishing communities.
“The SNP is now the only major pro-EU party committed to rejoining the EU. With the main Westminster parties all signed up to Brexit and the damaging consequences it brings – even in the event of a change in government – there is no route back to the EU through Westminster.
“Scotland can do so much better than a Westminster system acting against our interests. Only by becoming an independent country will we be able to work to rejoin the EU, protect our vital industries and economy, and be part of the world’s largest single market.”
The impact of the UK Government’s ‘damging’ Brexit deal on the people and economy of Scotland has been revealed in Scottish Government analysis.
The analysis lays out the challenges presented in mitigating the wide ranging impact of the deal, and underlines why the Scottish Government believes the best future for Scotland is as an independent country within the EU.
The comparison between the benefits of being a full member of the European Union (EU) and the position after the end of the transition period shows no corner of Scotland’s life and work will be untouched.
The UK deal, which has been denied consent by the Scottish Parliament, means Scotland has been taken out of the Single Market and the Customs Union, hitting jobs and living standards hard.
This initial analysis lays out what Scotland has lost by leaving the EU with this deal – and what it would regain by re-joining – highlighting the impact on Scotland’s economy, trade in services, fisheries, participation in EU programmes, internal security, free movement of people and the environment.
It includes detail on various sectors, including food, for example, where the UK Government has not secured any legally binding protection within the EU of existing UK Geographical Indicators (GIs) – nor any preferential arrangements for the recognition in the EU of potential future UK GIs.
Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said: “This analysis is sobering reading for anyone with Scotland’s best interests at heart.
“Post-Brexit relationships with the EU could have taken many different forms and the damaging outcome with which we are now faced is the result of a political choice by the UK Government, and firmly against the wishes of Scotland.
“As a responsible government we are doing everything we can to mitigate against the consequences of the UK Government’s actions, but we cannot avert every negative outcome.
“We know that businesses are already struggling under the burden of COVID-19, and are now faced with the need to prepare for the economic shock of this hard Brexit.
“Our position is clearer than ever – Scotland now has the right to choose its own future, as an independent country and seek to regain the benefits of EU membership.
“This analysis demonstrates the substantial benefits that we would regain by becoming an independent member state in our own right.”
The European Movement in Scotland (EMiS), the country’s leading pro-EU body, is today urging Scots to defy Brexit and fight to rejoin the European Union.
EMiS is launching its own campaign for Scotland to rejoin the European Union as swiftly as possible – whatever its constitutional status.
Tier 4 restrictions have forced the cancellation of planned street protests against Brexit up and down the country, including at the Scottish Parliament and UK Government hub in the capital.
Instead, EMiS members and supporters will be protesting wherever and however possible against a bad deal on future EU-UK relations that poses a serious threat to Scotland’s future and that of its younger generations.
Mark Lazarowicz, EMiS convenor, says: ” With all the crises the world faces, the argument for the European Union is stronger than ever – and opinion polls show that support for EU membership is higher than it was at the time of the 2016 referendum, both in Scotland and across the whole of the UK.
“Whether Scotland becomes part of the EU again as an independent nation state, or through the UK as a whole, we know it will not happen overnight. But being a realist doesn’t mean we stop campaigning for our country to be part of that wider European project again.”
Today marks the end of UK membership of the EU Single Market and Customs Union. From 1 January 2021, more than 5m Scots will lose the right to live, travel and work freely in 31 other European countries.
As we prepare for this sad day, we in the European Movement in Scotland are united in this pledge:
“We declare that Scotland is a European country, embracing our common values of peace, democracy, human rights, equality, sustainability and solidarity.
The clear wish of the great majority of the Scottish people is that Scotland should be within the European Union.
We commit to working to bring this about, whatever Scotland’s constitutional status”.
We are calling on as many as possible to share pictures of themselves displaying the EU stars – a symbol of European unity – in some form, accompanied by the hashtag #WeWillBeBack.
We urge all those who feel the same to join us at the European Movement in Scotland (euromovescotland.org.uk @euromovescot), so that our fellow Europeans can hear us loud and clear!
