Scots reject Brexit blandishments

The leader of the Conservative Party in Scotland, Douglas Ross, has worked himself up into a New Year fury over a video posted by the Edinburgh Government critical of the trade deal negotiated by the United Kingdom with the European Union.

Demanding an apology, he suggested officials of the ruling Scottish National Party had broken the Civil Service Code on political neutrality by promoting the video, which called for an independent Scotland to re-join the EU.

Ross cited a section of the code that states officials must not “act in a way that is determined by party political considerations, or use official resources for party political purposes".

However, he seemed to forget that Civil Servants are also required to help Ministers deliver their political agendas and that in Scotland rejection of the departure from the EU (Brexit) and Scottish independence is official Government policy.

He also ignored the endless promotion of Brexit by the United Kingdom Government — all done with the support of Civil Servants in Whitehall.

This includes the UK Government’s Secretary for Scotland, Alister Jack issuing a statement, no doubt researched and prepared by the Civil Servants in his Department, calling the deal “good news for Scotland” that pointed to an “exciting future” north of the border.

Of course, there was no elaboration on this “good news” or on the “exciting future”; just as Ross did not name any of the Scottish business leaders he claimed were saying the deal was good for jobs and the economy.

In 2016 the UK voted, by a narrow margin, to leave the EU; in Scotland the vote was overwhelmingly to remain.

In 2019, the Conservatives won the UK General Election, capturing a swath of English seats from Labour. In Scotland the SNP won 48 seats; the Conservatives won six.

There is an obvious disconnect here, and just with Ireland a century ago, this cannot continue.

Later this year Scotland goes to the polls. Without a doubt the UK Government will throw everything into an attempt to unseat the SNP or at least dent its majority.

If, despite this, the SNP holds or increases its majority, it will be a clear message that Scotland is no longer interested in the Union.

The only course should be to allow Scots the opportunity to vote in another independence referendum and, if successful, seek their destiny in Europe.