THE SNP’s Stewart Hosie has been accused of “dodging the truth” as his opponents criticised him for failing to recognise the importance of the UK to Scotland’s economy.
The Nationalists' economics spokesman came under fire after he told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland: “Most of Scotland’s exports go to countries, which are currently in the European Union now as it includes England for the time being.”
At present, official figures show that exports from Scotland to the rest of the UK are worth £48.5 billion while those to the rest of the EU are worth £11.6bn.
The Dundee MP noted how the rest of the UK sold more to Scotland than vice versa and stressed: “If there is an argument for Scotland, we should not be dependent on a single country, which is why remaining in a large Union of 500 million consumers is a rather better idea…”
He later told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme that the uncertainty around Brexit was caused by the “absence of a plan” from the UK Government and that it was “daft” for it not to tell people what its Brexit negotiating strategy was.
Whitehall sources have made clear that Theresa May is not seeking to maintain the UK’s membership of the European single market but, rather, maximum possible access to it and working "within" the single market itself.
On Today, Mr Hosie used similar language. Thus far, the SNP leadership's emphasis has been on Scotland having "full membership" of the single market.
When asked if holding a second Scottish independence referendum would not cause economic damage, he replied: “The First Minister and her team are working very hard indeed to come up with a plan to give the UK maximum access within the single market. Failing that for Scotland to have that.
“The notion of a second independence referendum will only even come into play if we are unable somehow to maintain our access to the market, a market of 500m people, not a domestic market of 70m; the world’s biggest trading bloc, we must never forget that.”
Asked if, therefore, a second independence poll was some way off, he added: “As the FM has said, it’s likely but only if we cannot achieve staying in the single market, tariff-free access, so we can continue to trade and grow prosperity in Scotland and indeed throughout the UK.”
Ian Murray, Scottish Labour’s Westminster spokesman seized on Mr Hosie’s remarks about how most of Scotland’s exports went to the EU, which included England.
He said: “It is completely two-faced for Stewart Hosie to preach the importance of the EU market while ignoring one four times as important: the UK single market.”
The Edinburgh MP added: “All of the economic problems associated with Brexit apply to independence on an even larger scale. That’s the brutal reality the SNP won’t admit to because their obsession with independence would be bad for jobs and mean huge cuts to public spending.”
Dean Lockhart, the Scottish Conservative Shadow Economy Secretary, said Mr Hosie’s remarks were laughable. "The fact is Scotland exports over four times as much to the rest of the UK than it does to the EU. To try and claim otherwise is simply misleading and this ridiculous attempt to dodge the truth shows just how much of a mess the SNP are in when it comes to their plans for independence.”
In response, Mr Hosie said: “The largest single market for Scottish exports is the EU. The Labour Party have some cheek complaining about the consequences of Brexit given the wholly pathetic campaign they fought to keep the UK inside the EU.”
He added: “We want Scottish exporters to have a global view and it is incredibly sad that Labour’s sole Scottish MP can’t see further than London.’’
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