Political commentator John Lloyd told Roundtable that Scotland's level of exports to countries outside the United Kingdom is quite small as 60 percent of their trade is with the rest of Britain. He added that it would be very hard for Scotland to reach their current level of exporting if the nation were to leave the United Kingdom.
Mr Lloyd said: "If Scotland gets into the European Union, it will certainly not be in a fiscal union because the EU cannot create one. This is not a harbour where Scotland can sit back and have a better time than it did in the UK. Scotland is also a place where its exports are quite small, around 60 percent go to the rest of the UK. They will probably grow but it is a tough world out there. It will be tougher after the end of Covid and to get to levels it has got with the UK would be very hard indeed."
Scottish Conservative Councillor Tony Miklinski has also warned the SNP that an independent Scotland would not be accepted into the European Union without severe constraints imposed on the country.
During an interview with The Express, Mr Miklinski hit out at the current state of Scotland's economy as he highlighted the struggles Ms Sturgeon would face trying to join the EU.
He added that the United Kingdom is stronger together and Scotland's economy greatly benefits from being supported by the Westminster Government.
Mr Miklinski said: "The EU rules that they apply to everybody is a GDP deficit gap of no more than three percent. Scotland’s is currently seven percent it is just about the worst in the existing European countries. Therefore, the rules that they have, especially post-pandemic when all economies are struggling means I can see no scenario where they would welcome effectively a sick orphan, the Scottish economy, into their midst. If they did, they would impose strict and severe constraints on how the economy would have to be handled. That would mean closing the deficit gap and that can only be done through increased taxation, cutting spending or massive borrowing."
He added: "By the way, the SNP talk about, 'give us the powers and we can do this for ourselves, for example, the UK’s support from the pandemic,' of course that is not true. There is no way that a Scottish economy which does not really exist in isolation because it is supported by Westminster, would be given rates anywhere as good as the UK Government can negotiate.
Basically better together means it, we are better as a union with the strengths of the UK meshing with what we offer."
Source: Daily Express
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