After Brexit, independence would hit Scotland with a double whammy – Robert Aldridge

Good riddance! That’s the general view I’ve heard about the awful year 2020.

I am sure that some of the effects from the loneliness and isolation brought on by the pandemic, as well as the early preventative health interventions which were missed will only be felt in the medium and long term.

As the good news of Covid vaccinations brings hope of an end to the immediate crisis, we will need to keep a focus on those who will continue to bear the emotional scars of the past year.

Let’s also try to hang on to the amazing generosity and community spirit which emerged during the emergency. And let’s maintain our real appreciation of the work done by a range of essential frontline staff who have kept the country going.

This year will be different. Sadly we are now well and truly out of the European Union. As a Lib Dem, I believe you should work with partners and neighbours rather than wrapping yourself in a flag and building barriers.

And as the shortcomings of the trade deal between the UK and the EU slowly become apparent, one thing is clear. We are in a worse position than when we were as members of the EU.

Not only that but the family of nations which is the UK has been put at risk by the Conservatives. Northern Ireland is still semi joined to the EU while the rest of the UK is out, with a half border in the North Sea and complex paperwork to send goods even within the UK! There is every prospect of a referendum about uniting Ireland within the EU.

As if stomping out of one family (the EU) is not enough, the SNP are now threatening us with a double whammy of Scotland leaving the UK as well.

Make no mistake, just as the trade deal between the UK and EU is worse than being a member, any trade deal between Scotland and the rest of the UK would also be worse than the free trade we currently have.

Recovery from the economic and social catastrophe brought about by Covid is going to be hard and a long haul. The additional obstacles put in our path by Brexit will make it far more difficult to get back on our economic feet. Jobs will be lost because of it with more families in greater poverty for longer as a result.

We need to maximise our potential, working together, building on our community spirit and seeking to remove barriers, rather than creating them, so that we can get back to something approaching normal. The last thing we need is another prolonged bureaucratic negotiation leaving Scotland in an even worse position.

Tackling the real problems faced by real families now needs to be our focus. Let’s abandon the self-indulgent navel-gazing of another referendum and make a New Year’s resolution to focus on working together for recovery rather than unnecessary division.

Robert Aldridge is leader of Edinburgh Council’s Liberal Democrat group

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