SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL INTEREST IS UNDER THREAT FROM CONSERVATIVE EU POLICY

CONSERVATIVE PARTY MOVING UNITED KINGDOM TOWARDS AN EU EXIT ?



By Martin Black





The Prime Minister David Cameron, pictured,  promised this week to hold a  referendum on Britain's future membership of the European Union, a move that could have serious  implications for the Scottish economy and crucially raises fundamental questions regarding Scotland's national interest.

 

For Cameron this move is an attempt to both placate the powerful right wing elements in his party, who are openly hostile to the European Union, and to tap into the anti-European sentiment of many English voters.The Conservatives have become increasingly concerned that the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), who have a policy that advocates leaving the EU altogether, are capable of attracting electoral support and this could be a concern come the next general election.

For Scotland however, an ''in-out'' EU referendum could undermine the vital economic relationship the country now has with Europe. Thousands of Scottish jobs for example are reliant on continued EU membership , as are the social, cultural and trade links built up over past decades. All this it seems could be jeopardised by the Conservatives. Scotland's national interest has clearly become secondary to Cameron's need to bolster his electoral fortunes and gain favour with Euro-sceptics within his own party.

 

The importance to Scotland of being in the European Union is there for all to see. The so-called global connections survey, a recent trade analysis, indicates that Scotland continues to increase exports year on year to many European Union countries, underlining the huge importance to Scotland of EU membership.Trade with France, Germany and Holland rose to close on £6 billion in 2011 and the Scottish government is keen and to maintain this upward trend. If the electorate in the UK, that is dominated by English voters, were to vote to leave the EU all this trade could be lost and Scotland could potentially become an economic backwater. 

 

So there can be no doubting the importance to Scotland of continued membership of the European Union. For the Conservative leader to announce that he will hold a referendum that could eventually see Britain exit from Europe clearly undermines Scotland's relationship  with  the EU and threatens trade links.

 

Further, Cameron's attempt to assuage the right wing anti-Europeans in his own party and pander to the little Englander mentality of many voters in the south merely proves what many north of the border have suspected for some time. Scotland is no more than an afterthought for the south of England politicians. Consequently, Scotland's national interest is clearly not best served by being part of the United Kingdom.