West Dunbartonshire’s MP Martin Docherty-Hughes has accused Rishi Sunak of failing Scotland, following the Prime Minister’s announcement of a revised Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.
It comes after Tory leader Rishi Sunak admitted that being outside of the European Union (EU) puts Scotland at a competitive disadvantage, compared to Northern Ireland’s ‘special position’ with single market access.
Speaking in the House of Commons, local MP Martin Docherty-Hughes challenged the Prime Minister on his statement that the revised Brexit deal ‘safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland’.
In the 2016 EU referendum, Scotland had the highest remain vote of any nation in the UK at 62% – compared to 56% for Northern Ireland.
The SNP say Scotland’s vote to remain has been ignored by the UK government, and the new ‘Windsor Framework’ Agreement delivers nothing for Scottish communities.
Commenting, Martin Docherty-Hughes MP said:
“The Prime Minister boasting that his new Brexit deal safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland is a slap in the face for voters in Scotland.
“In 2016, people in West Dunbartonshire and across Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain and that result should’ve been respected. Instead, we’ve been dragged out of the EU against our will and forced to endure the decline and economic hardship that’s come with it.
“England and Wales both voted to leave the European single market and have had their wishes fulfilled. Northern Ireland voted to remain, as did Scotland – and yet it is Scotland’s democratic choice which has been ignored and sidelined.
“Rishi Sunak’s statement confirms that our communities are now at a competitive disadvantage with no access to the European Single Market.
“With none of the Westminster parties committed to a return to the European Union, it’s clear that only independence can deliver a more prosperous future for Scotland.”
