Scottish Parliament rejects Brexit deal

The joint motion agreed by the SNP, Labour, the Greens and the Lib Dems stated that a better alternative must be found – leaving the Tories isolated in their support for Theresa May’s discredited proposals.

Commenting, local SNP MSP Ben Macpherson MSP said: ““In  2016 Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, with Edinburgh Northern and Leith voting 78% to remain. However, our interests and democratic voice have been ignored by the UK Tory government since day one. 

“With the Scottish Parliament now standing overwhelmingly against the false choice of Theresa May’s so-called deal or No Deal, it is time for the UK government to listen.

“The Prime Minister’s deal is at this point little more than a hypothetical exercise, with all sides of the House of Commons determined to defeat it on Tuesday.

“The clock is ticking, with increasingly concerning economic forecasts around Brexit appearing day by day. It’s time for a new approach that looks at real alternatives that will protect jobs, rights and livelihoods in Edinburgh Northern and Leith – whether that be a second referendum giving Scotland the opportunity to remain in the EU, or the compromise proposal of staying in the single-market, which the Scottish Government put forward two years ago.”

Speaking after the vote, Constitutional Relations Secretary Michael Russell said: “The UK Government’s Brexit deal will make Scotland poorer and they must now listen and act on the Scottish Parliament’s overwhelming decision to reject it.

“I committed to bring the UK Government’s EU Withdrawal Deal and Political Declaration to this Parliament before it was voted on in the House of Commons, and I was pleased to do so today with a motion that was the result of a unique cross-party collaboration.

“In every area of Scotland there will be businesses, organisations, communities, people and families who will suffer, directly suffer, over a long period of time under this proposed deal.

“Today the Scottish Parliament came together to say we cannot let this happen, and the UK Government must now respect today’s decisive vote.”

The motion for debate was:

That the Parliament agrees that both a no deal outcome and the outcomes arising from the withdrawal agreement and political declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the EU and the UK, as presented to the House of Commons by the Prime Minister, would be damaging for Scotland and the nations and regions of the UK as a whole, and therefore recommends that they be rejected and that a better alternative be taken forward.

The UK Gocernment faces defeat when MPs vote on the proposed Brexit deal at Westminster on 11 December.