The SNP leader refuses to rule out a "Hard Border" between Scotland and England
A few weeks ago I tweeted a question to advocates of Scottish Independence: I asked what plans they have, in the event that they manage to get and win another Independence referendum, to avoid running into extremely similar problems on the England-Scotland border to those which Brexit is now presenting in respect of the Irish one.
There were no answers at the time, but the First Minister of Scotland and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, was asked about the issue on the BBC's Andrew Marr show this morning.
Interestingly, though she didn't really have an answer, she declined to rule out the possibility of a hard border. In statements highly reminiscent of some of the comments from both sides about the border in Ireland, she said,
"I don’t want borders its not my policies that are putting borders anywhere."
However, promising to be "honest" on the subject, Nicola Sturgeon added:
"We need to see how things play out."
The First Minister also refused to rule out that a hard border might come into being if Scotland did become Independent.
In other words, the answer to the question I had asked is "None: they don't have a plan."
As "the Scotsman" put it
"If the UK leaves the EU and pursues a different course on tax and customs from Scotland, which rejoins the Brussels bloc, then most experts say a border would be inevitable."
The interim leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Jackson Carlaw MSP, responded to Ms Sturgeon's comments as follows:
“Nicola Sturgeon’s acceptance that Scottish independence will most likely lead to a border with England is a dramatic shift," he said.
“Up until now the nationalists have refused to accept this as even a possibility but they are can see they are fooling no one.
“Sturgeon must now continue to be ‘honest’ and admit that separation from the UK would lead to extreme austerity, hard borders with England and damage to public services.”
There were no answers at the time, but the First Minister of Scotland and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, was asked about the issue on the BBC's Andrew Marr show this morning.
Interestingly, though she didn't really have an answer, she declined to rule out the possibility of a hard border. In statements highly reminiscent of some of the comments from both sides about the border in Ireland, she said,
"I don’t want borders its not my policies that are putting borders anywhere."
However, promising to be "honest" on the subject, Nicola Sturgeon added:
"We need to see how things play out."
The First Minister also refused to rule out that a hard border might come into being if Scotland did become Independent.
In other words, the answer to the question I had asked is "None: they don't have a plan."
As "the Scotsman" put it
"If the UK leaves the EU and pursues a different course on tax and customs from Scotland, which rejoins the Brussels bloc, then most experts say a border would be inevitable."
The interim leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Jackson Carlaw MSP, responded to Ms Sturgeon's comments as follows:
“Nicola Sturgeon’s acceptance that Scottish independence will most likely lead to a border with England is a dramatic shift," he said.
“Up until now the nationalists have refused to accept this as even a possibility but they are can see they are fooling no one.
“Sturgeon must now continue to be ‘honest’ and admit that separation from the UK would lead to extreme austerity, hard borders with England and damage to public services.”
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