Scottish independence: Why Brexit disaster has made me decide to join the SNP – Helen Martin

So here we are. It’s the start of 2021. We are out of the EU, apparently with a “deal”.

Boris Johnson's Brexit trade deal with the European Union does not impress Helen Martin (Picture: Frank Augstein/pool/AFP via Getty Images)

In reality, it’s more like a “no deal” than a genuine one. And of course, we are still losing lives and battling against this massive pandemic.

Normally, most of us have good hopes, plans and ambitions for the next 12 months in a New Year. That couldn’t be further from the truth now.

Despite this Brexit saga having gone on for four years, it seems more like a weird movie than a logical, political procedure.

Personally, I still cannot understand why the majority of people in England thought life would be better leaving the EU. Possibly they imagined they might revert to a British Empire, yet that would have to have become an English Empire because Scotland voted to stay in the EU. Or did they really believe Scotland’s opinion was irrelevant and it would always obey Westminster?

Theresa May’s negotiations apparently were not drastic enough so they were voted down. In came Boris Johnson with a plan that sounded like an Empire fantasy... that he and the UK could dictate to the EU’s 27 countries, take back what he believed was “sovereign power” and retain the other positives he wanted, but reject their rules and laws on the basis they wouldn’t want to lose the wonderful UK.

That’s what he tried to sell to the population with obfuscation and over-positivity. And they believed him when he rambled on about how Britain’s economy would soar, how we would keep free trade deals even leaving the EU, and also keep the EU Erasmus programme for students, trainees etc, etc.

In England, he and the Tories retained power and he bashed on, even when it became clear that each of the EU benefits would disappear. He seemed to be sticking out for no deal, desperate to leave the EU perhaps because he was defending tax avoidance and British tax havens.

Obviously, some pressure forced him to make a tiny, insignificant deal for trade. No tariffs, but massive customs and red tape processes that don’t just apply to vast exports and imports but also affect online sales and purchases, even posting parcels to people in Europe, limitations on food trade and lots more. Is that a deal?

Throughout most of that whole political panto, Scotland’s Remain vote didn’t register with England. Despite having 47 SNP MPs, six Scottish Tories, one Labour and a few Lib Dems, Westminster’s attitude seemed to be that the SNP was a weird little sect and Scots would still vote for Tory or Labour.

Now the independence campaign is beginning here. Covid-19 can’t stop that, as it didn’t stop Brexit. But as well as dealing with the virus, we have to save Scotland’s future, the economy, the NHS, regain membership of the EU, and our ability to reassess free movement, welcome EU workers, students, residents, professionals and all.

I voted for SNP before but had always been a "voting floater”. Now I’ve joined the Party. On that basis, I would plead to everyone not to think about party loyalty but consider the only way to save ourselves from the Brexit disaster is to vote for the SNP and independence.

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