Legal fears over EU membership could see Scottish farmers made bankrupt

In 2007 the SNP published a document asserting that an "independent Scotland would continue in the EU".

Today, at First Minister's Questions, it emerged that Štefan Füle, Commissioner for enlargement for the EU, has received no correspondence from the Scottish Government on whether a separate Scotland would need to apply to join the EU.

A wealth of legal opinion has stated that if Scotland became an independent sovereign state it would have to reapply to be a member of the EU with the consequence that our farmers would be bankrupt without European payments while the country waits for renegotiation.

The SNP's own Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs has even admitted that Scotland's farming industry would be left devastated without the support provided by the Common Agricultural Policy, which receives hundreds of millions every year from the EU.

Alex Salmond claims that the EU cannot expel a member state or part of a member state – but an independent Scotland would not be a member state or part.

Ruth Davidson said:

"Scotland faces the most important vote in 300 years yet Alex Salmond refuses again and again to answer the questions on what a separate Scotland would look like.

"It's astonishing that his Government has not made contact with Commissioner Füle.

"The First Minister believes that him saying something often enough makes it become fact but the Scottish people deserve a proper answer rather than just his continual bluster.

"The weight of expert opinion states an independent Scotland would not be an automatic member of the European Union.

"As a result, Scotland would have to reapply to be a member of the EU with the consequence that our farmers would be left bankrupt without the European payments while the country waits to see whether it will be allowed to join the EU.

"Alex Salmond is so obsessed with his desire for independence that he thinks it's acceptable to gloss over the facts of what separation would actually mean for the Scottish people.

"This is simply an insult to the electorate and Scotland deserves better."

Back to all posts