www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-spends-just-three-hours-13659967
dailyrecord.co.uk
Theresa May spends just three hours in Scotland as she tries to sell Brexit deal
David Clegg
5-6 minutes
Theresa May yesterday spent a measly three hours in Scotland trying to sell her doomed Brexit deal to
sceptical voters.
The Prime Minister provided no new answers on a whirlwind trip north of the Border on the day her own Government’s projections showed the devastating costs of leaving the EU.
Experts believe the UK will take a mammoth £139billion hit over Brexit – the £39billion divorce bill and the remaining £100million due to a fall in GDP.
The Scottish Secretary David Mundell tagged along on the visit to Bridge of Weir (Image: James Chapelard / SWNS.com)
The Bank of England warned a no-deal exit could trigger a surge in living costs and a worse recession than the 2008 financial crisis.
The economy could shrink by eight per cent, while inflation could jump to 6.5 per cent – partly as a result of the pound slumping by 25 per cent against other currencies, leading to higher household bills.
Whitehall papers forecast GDP would be 3.9 per cent less in 15 years than if the UK had backed Remain at the 2016 referendum.
Against that appalling backdrop, the Tory leader spent just 10 minutes answering questions from the Press after a hastily arranged tour of a leather manufacturer in Bridge of Weir.
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She insisted the deal agreed with Brussels this week had “taken Scotland’s interests into account” but could not say how the agreement would win support in the House of Commons or boost the economy.
May, who landed in Glasgow Airport around 3pm and left at about 6pm, said: “There is a very clear decision MPs have to take when it comes to the vote. We have negotiated a deal which is a good deal for the UK that does deliver on Brexit.
“It brings into place things the public voted for, things the public wanted to see: An end to free movement, sending of vast annual sums to the EU every year, an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, coming out of the CAP [Common Agricultural Policy], coming out of the CFP [Common Fisheries Policy] – very important for Scottish coastal communities.”
The beleaguered Prime Minister also ruled out any prospect of a second independence referendum, repeating her mantra that “now is not the time” for such discussions.
She added: “What we have negotiated is a Brexit deal that is good for the UK as a whole, is good for Scotland, it is good for employers, it is good for Scottish fishermen.
“Support for the deal has been encouraged by employers like Diageo, by organisations like the Scotch Whisky Association, the National Farmers Union for Scotland. One thing we do know is that what will be bad for the Scottish economy would be taking Scotland out of the United Kingdom.”
SNP MSP Tom Arthur said the visit must be some kind of record (Image: Supplied)
But the SNP said May’s flying visit showed “contempt” for Scotland. Renfrewshire South MSP Tom Arthur said: “This must be a new record, jetting in and out in just three hours.
“It also suggests she knew she would get short shrift from ordinary people if she actually spent any length of time on the streets here. She’s fooling nobody with this publicity stunt.”
May’s short Scottish sojourn had already been undermined by the row over the UK Treasury analysis of the various scenarios for Brexit.
Philip Hammond caused major embarrassment for the Prime Minister by admitting the economy will take a hit with or without her deal.
The Chancellor, who controls the British budget, also admitted staying in the EU’s single market for trade would be better for the country “purely on the economics”.
Hammond said: “If you look only at economic benefits, yes there will be cost to leaving the European Union.” He added: “The economy will be slightly smaller in the Prime Minister’s preferred version of the future partnership.”
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford seized on the revelations, telling MPs the deal would “leave people poorer than the status quo”.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions earlier in the day, he said: “Quite clearly, under any scenario, leaving the single market and the customs union we’ll be poorer.
Chancellor Phillip Hammond said staying in the single market would be good economically (Image: Getty Images)
“The Prime Minister wants to take us back to the days of Thatcher and a belief that unemployment is a price worth paying, that’s the reality.
“People in Scotland voted overwhelming to Remain, we voted for our rights to be respected and we are not prepared to give up those rights.”
May responded: “He talks about what the people of Scotland voted for, they voted to stay in the United Kingdom and they voted for 13 Conservative MPs.”