7 reasons why we need a second EU referendum

by Olaf Stando
Posted on
5 years ago
4 min read

1) Scotland voted Remain

In 2014, the Better Together campaign infamously claimed that voting No was the best way of protecting our EU membership.

Less than two years later, this claim was exposed as complete nonsense, with Scotland being dragged out of the EU against its clear and unambiguous will.

All of Scotland’s 32 local authorities backed staying in the European Union, in a decisive 62% Scotland-wide vote to Remain.

2) Any form of Brexit will make Scotland poorer

Even Theresa May’s own Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, admitted that the UK economy will be worse off under any form of Brexit.

Treasury analysis shows that the UK would be £40billion worse off under Theresa May’s Brexit deal, and a staggering £150billion worse off under a no-deal within 15 years – figures so inconvenient for the Prime Minister that she went into denial mode.

The Scottish Government’s report lays bare the costs of Theresa May’s bad deal – slashing Scotland’s GDP by £9billion and threatening to make every person up to £1,600 worse off by 2030.

No responsible government, with the interests of current and future generations at heart, could possibly accept a deal that threatens the most vulnerable in our society and damages our economy.

3) The EU brings us prosperity, rights and opportunities

Brussels is responsible for more than just regulations governing the curvature of bananas: it gives us prosperity, rights and freedoms that individuals, businesses and communities across Scotland have been benefitting from for 40 years.

The EU has brought countless benefits to Scotland – giving us the freedom of movement, supporting scientific research, strengthening our universities, providing funding for rural areas and safeguarding workers’ rights.

4) Brexit threatens it all

Theresa May’s Brexit deal will deprive us of the opportunities to live, work and study in 27 countries in Europe.

Young people, who voted overwhelmingly against Brexit, will be most impacted by the consequences. While young people in 27 countries will continue enjoying the freedom of movement, it is only younger Brits who will have it taken from them.

What’s more, the proposed Tory immigration controls resulting from Brexit will cut off a vital labour supply to Scotland’s public services, heavily affecting our NHS and the agricultural sector.

While the Tories deploy increasingly toxic rhetoric against immigrants, we are proud of welcoming immigrants to Scotland – their social, cultural and economic contribution enriches us all.

5) Brexiteers’ lies have been exposed

“There will be no change to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic” – Vote Leave, 1 June 2016.

“The day after we vote to leave, we hold all the cards and we can choose the path we want” – Michael Gove, 6 April 2016.

“There will be no downside to Brexit, only a considerable upside”

 – David Davis, 10 October 2016.

“The free trade agreement that we will do with the European Union should be one of the easiest in human history” – Liam Fox, 20 July 2017.

Remember the promise of £350million a week for the NHS on the side of that big red bus? Just hours after the referendum result, Nigel Farage – a key architect of Brexit – disowned the pledge and said it was “a mistake”.

These arrogant claims of the Brexiteers proved to be laughable, after the UK descended into unprecedented levels of chaos, the Tories spent over two years ripping themselves apart, and none of the promised new trade deals have been delivered.

Now that these lies have been exposed, and the reality of Brexit has become clearer, the people deserve the chance to have a final say and make a decision on their future.

6) Westminster is deadlocked and the UK Government is in disarray

While Westminster descends ever deeper into chaos, Theresa May has no authority, no sense of direction, and her government is the most incompetent and unstable in decades.

Westminster remains deeply divided, and it’s becoming ever clearer that the only way out of the deadlock is putting EU membership back to the people in a second referendum.

We have been leading the charge for a second EU referendum in Westminster and working across parties to convince MPs – as Brexit is fast approaching, Labour must finally get off the fence, stop abdicating responsibility, and commit to giving people a say.

7) Scotland has been ignored throughout the Brexit process

While Theresa May acts in the interests of the Brexit extremists in her party, we act in the interests of Scotland – we cannot, and will not, accept a Brexit that wrecks people’s livelihoods.

The best way to protect Scotland’s economy, our right to live, work and study in 27 countries, and the rights and opportunities that come from our EU citizenship, is through a second EU referendum with the option to remain.

Ultimately, Westminster has proven increasingly incapable of serving Scotland’s interests, with the Scottish Government ignored and dismissed along by the UK government along the way.

It’s becoming ever clearer that only with independence we can build a society and economy perfectly suited to Scotland’s needs, and put the people of Scotland in charge of their future.