THE SNP has called on the Brexit Department to publish its analysis on the impact of EU withdrawal after a former aide to David Davis claimed it suggested Scotland would be worst hit by the UK's departure from the Brussels bloc.
James Chapman tweeted: “Hello @DExEUgov why haven't you published analysis showing North East and Scotland will lose most from Brexit? #misconduct.”
The Nationalists described the claim as a “bombshell” and demanded the UK Government come clean on the detail of its private analysis.
MSP Joan McAlpine, who convenes Holyrood’s Europe Committee, has written to the Brexit Secretary, demanding all analysis of the impact on Scotland from Brexit be published in full to allow for “full scrutiny by the public and politicians at Holyrood and at Westminster”.
She said: “This is a staggering revelation by someone who was at the very heart of the department responsible for the UK’s departure from the EU.
“If there is Government analysis showing that Scotland will be hardest hit as a result of a Tory Brexit, then it is completely untenable for any government to bury those findings.”
Ms McAlpine added: “It is now incumbent upon the UK Government to publish all detail about how hard Scotland will be hit by being dragged out of Europe and out of the single market and who exactly will pay the price for Tory vanity over Brexit.
“It’s only right as we enter a crucial chapter in negotiations that we have the chance to make a proper assessment of where we’re headed and take steps as necessary to protect Scotland’s economy, businesses and the jobs that depend on them.”
Earlier this week, the Department for Exiting the EU confirmed that it was looking in detail at the impact of Brexit on more than 50 sectors. Robin Walker, the Brexit minister, has already indicated that a list of the studies would be published soon but not their contents.
A department spokesman said: “Parliament has agreed that we will not publish anything that would undermine the Government’s ability to negotiate the best deal for Britain."
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