Brexit is far from “done”. But the Westminster parties would rather we think it is

Voters in Scotland can be forgiven for thinking that they are in a small number of people thinking Brexit isn’t done and that most people accept it. But they’re not.

Recent polling shows a clear majority of people across the UK think Brexit ‘isn’t done’ and only 24% think it is done. Plus, it suggests 55% of people in Scotland think it isn’t done with only 22% believing it is done.

But that’s not all. Polling also shows that a massive number of people think Brexit is a failure.

They believe it has been bad for the UK economy, has driven up prices in shops, has adversely affected their personal finances, and has had a negative effect on the NHS.

So you are not alone in thinking Brexit isn’t done, and you wouldn’t be alone in thinking its damage has hardly begun:

• Scotland hit by up to 25% slump in exports to EU in Brexit bombshell – Herald, 26 December 2023
• Brexit will leave UK £300bn worse off by 2035, say economists – Independent, 12 January 2024
• NHS patients hit by ‘severe drug shortages’ due to Brexit red tape – Independent, 5 November 2023
• Brexit has worsened shortage of NHS doctors, analysis shows – Guardian, 7 November 2022
• By every measure, Brexit is harming Britain – Guardian Letters, 8 December 2023
• The UK economy still can’t cope with the consequences of Brexit – CNN, 29 August 2023
• Brexit damage as big as Covid, says OBR – predicting five years before incomes recover – Independent, 26 March 2023

Is it any wonder polls also show that a majority of people want to rejoin the EU?

Yet, none of the Westminster parties offer people a route back into the EU.

It should go without saying that the Tories, who Scotland hasn’t elected to government in nearly a lifetime, imposed it on Scotland.

This was despite promising Scotland during the independence referendum a ‘No’ vote guaranteed remaining in the EU and that Scotland would be an ‘equal partner’ in the UK.

As for the supposedly pro-EU Liberal Democrats, their leader said that rejoining was ‘for the birds‘. This is despite their Scottish leader promising that they would become the ‘party of re-entry‘ after Brexit happened.

The Tories imposed it on Scotland against its wishes, and the Liberal Democrats meekly  accept it. More worryingly, Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour now echo the Tories.

• Brexit: Labour would not seek to rejoin EU or single market, Keir Starmer says – Evening Standard, 4 July 2023
• Keir Starmer’s policy on Brexit is fully aligned with the Tories – Guardian Letters, 21 January 2022

All the Westminster parties are taking Scotland for granted. They think Scots will just meekly accept it. That they are resigned to it. Their conspiracy of silence on the effects of Brexit takes hope away from Scottish voters.

But Scotland doesn’t have to accept this.

The SNP stands for rejoining the EU and a vote for the SNP is a vote to reverse this damaging policy for Scotland.

The choice at the next election is a continuation of Brexit Britain or a New Scotland.

So if Scots want to escape Brexit and return to the largest single economic market in the world, they should vote for the SNP.