THERESA May is “personally culpable” for millions of pounds being spent by businesses and government on an avoidable No Deal Brexit, Michael Russell has said.
The SNP Brexit Secretary said the Prime Minister’s behaviour was “shameful”, as he accused her of putting self-preservation and party politics before the national interest.
“The Prime Minister’s priorities are first of all her job, and then her party, and then her country, and that is the shameful nature of what we see,” he told MSPs.
He also agreed with Green MSP Patrick Harvie that the current chaos at Westminster was an unbeatable “advertisement” for Scottish independence in Europe.
Updating Holyrood on Scottish Government plans after the record 230-vote defeat of Mrs May’s Brexit plan, he said the OM endured not just a loss but “a rout”.
He said: "In a normal political world with normal, accountable, self-aware politicians, the scale of this defeat would have led to the immediate resignation of, if not the government, then at least the leader of that government.
"But instead the Prime Minister behaves as if this is all somebody else's fault."
He said a great deal of costly and “regrettable” No Deal work was underway because of Mrs May’s inflexibility and refusal to accept that she needed to change course.
Urging UK ministers to rule out a No Deal “now and forever”, he said this work included "medicines, on clinical and consumable stockpiling, emergency transportation".
The Scottish Government’s resilience committee was now meeting weekly, and a public information campaign was in the "final phase of development".
He said: “All of this activity has become a significant focus of our resources and efforts - as it has to be for a responsible Government - however it remains something the UK could and should choose to remove as a risk today.”
He went on: He said: “The Prime Minister’s priorities are first of all her job, and then her party, and then her country, and that is the shameful nature of what we see - that she is preserving herself in office at the expense of all of us.
“And it is at the expense of all of us, because preparations for a No deal are costing businesses millions of pounds.
“I know of businesses who have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds because of the No Deal uncertainty, which could have been taken off the table weeks ago by the Prime Minister.
“She is personally culpable for that expenditure. The time and effort this government and others are putting in to ensure they’re doing as much as they can on No Deal is directly down to her.
“She should have the self-awareness to realise that whatever she wanted to do two and half years ago, it has been an abject failure, and in those circumstances she should resign.”
He called for a delay in Brexit and a People’s Vote on EU membership to “break the logjam that has now paralysed politics at Westminster”.
He said: “The Scottish Government is clear that the best outcome is to remain in the EU, a second referendum with Remain on the ballot paper is an opportunity for that to happen, and for the wishes of the people of Scotland to be respected."
Mr Harvie said: “Isn’t it clear that for those of us who believe in Scotland’s future as an independent member of the European family on our own terms and in our own right, we could hardly wish for a better advertisement for our cause than the shambolic, absurd theatricalities we’ve seen at Westminster? Aa parliament in which not only Scotland’s interests but the whole idea of rational debate appear to be held in utter contempt.”
Mr Russell replied: “Of course that is completely the case. Scotland did not vote for [Brexit]. At some stage it will have to make a choice between following this disastrous route or making sure that it is rejoining the family of nations.”
Tory MSP Adam Tomkins accused Mr Russell of playground politics by relentlessly banging the drum for independence and “playing to the nationalist gallery”.
He said: “I do not support a no-deal Brexit, I have never supported a no-deal Brexit and I cannot foresee the circumstances in which I would do so.
“However, the cold, hard truth is that those who have made a no-deal Brexit all the more likely are the MPs who voted against the Prime Minister’s deal, including every SNP MP.”
Mr Russell pointed out 118 Tory MPs had also voted against their leader’s deal.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay added: “Parliament humiliated the Prime Minister. Three Scottish Tory MPs did the right thing. The rest of them joined the entire group of Tory MSPs in their supine and sycophantic support of a bad deal. That will not be forgotten.”
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