Westminster parties in ‘Conspiracy of Silence” over Brexit and Cost-of-Living
No-one voted for an increasing cost-of-living crisis and Scotland definitely didn’t vote for Brexit but it was imposed by Westminster.
But Brexit is a key reason why there is an increasing cost-of-living crisis.
No doubt people will have seen the headlines about new Brexit rules for products coming into the UK from the EU and how this impacts on the already soaring prices of food:
- Food and drink price rise warning as Brexit border changes come into force – ITN News, 31 January 2024
- New Brexit border rules will hit UK supply chains, food industry warns – FT, 29 January 2024
- ‘Price of Brexit’: Shoppers face price hikes on ham, cheese and sausages – The i, 19 January 2024
However this is just the latest chapter in how Brexit has already been adding to the increased cost of household shopping. Last year it was revealed it had already impacted food prices:
- Brexit to blame for a third of Britain’s food bill rise, researchers say – Reuters, 26 May 2023
- Brexit food trade barriers have cost UK households £7bn, report finds – Guardian, 24 May 2023
However, the idea of a UK cost-of-living crisis isn’t entirely accurate. The word “crisis” implies it is temporary and will pass.
Yet for far too many people in the UK and Scotland, low living standards have become a permanent feature of their lives.
For example a Westminster government minister said
“The best way to tackle the cost of living crisis is to ensure that we get on with building a stronger economy that will support jobs and growth.”
That comment was made said 10 years ago.
The fact is that the Westminster system has overseen a permanent cost-of-living crisis for too many people in the UK.
The UK is the poor man of North West Europe and has been for decades. Poverty and inequality are rife and Westminster government spending decisions play a significant part in this.
The upshot of Brexit is that it has not only laid bare the myth of the Brussels bogeyman – the EU – being the source of people’s problems, but it has exposed how Westminster is the source of failure.
But no Westminster party offers a route out of this mayhem which is causing a rise in prices and poverty. But the SNP does.
A recent vote in the Scottish Parliament exposed Scottish Labour as putting the interests of Keir Starmer before the interests of Scotland.
Previously the Scottish Labour leader had campaigned for the leadership promising to ‘fight a Tory hard Brexit‘ and “support permanent UK membership of the single market“.
Yet instead of keeping to that position he and his party voted against a motion to reverse Brexit.
They have come into line with Keir Starmer’s policy on Brexit which is no different from the Tories:
- Keir Starmer embraces Brexit slogan with ‘take back control’ pledge – BBC News, 5 January 2023
- Starmer ends Labour silence on Brexit as he rules out rejoining single market – The Guardian, 4 July 2022
As for the Lib Dems they’ve also given up. Their leader said that rejoining was ‘for the birds‘. This was despite their Scottish leader promising they would become the ‘party of re-entry‘ after Brexit. Spoiler: They didn’t.
Scotland voted to Remain in the EU but the Westminster parties don’t want to offer you hope as they are scared of losing votes in the rest of the UK. They want you to give up. They will tolerate the Brexit-induced cost-of-living crisis just so they can be elected to Westminster.
However, Scotland has an alternative. Scotland can escape the Brexit now embraced by all the Westminster parties.
Voting for the SNP is a vote for independence – the only route Scotland has to rejoin the largest single market in the world and be part of a real single market.