Scotland after Brexit

The Scottish, at least a portion of them, have always dreamed of independence from the UK, due to the fact that they are often ignored. Another issue is the fact that the UK presents Brexit in a way that you’d think it was an amazing deal, something akin to William Hill sign up offer. The cruel irony of getting independence from Europe but not for themselves is not lost on the Scotts and we are yet to see how Scotland is going to fare after Brexit.

Opinion on Brexit

The SNP has been very adamant that they would not support the Brexit Deal, nor would they be up for a No Deal Brexit, as the impact of the latter could send Scotland into a disaster, not unlike the financial crisis of ’08. Since neither option is favorable to the good people of Scotland, they are calling for the postponing of Article 50 until they come up with a plan to make the economy sustainable.

The Effect of No Deal Brexit

The SNP has made an estimate that tens of thousands of jobs would be lost and the average Scotsman would lose out on a few thousand pounds every year. Furthermore, the exports would be heavily damaged by the decision, as leaving the EU would impose a higher cost of exporting goods.

The currency would also lose about 30% of its value. The economic slowdown and even stagnation are possible, which would make the country not very appealing for the qualified workforce from other countries. Scotland could very well be looking at a recession in its relatively near future.

The interest rate is expected to slowly but surely rise, in addition to the unemployment rate. Granted, the economy is bound to recover eventually, but the cost might not be worth it, especially considering that the standard of living would likely not reach the level had Scotland remained in the EU.

Staying in the EU

The Scottish National Party is also the ruling party of Scotland. They have always been vocal about getting independence from the kingdom, and their latest decision has made them outraged. Scotland voted on getting separated from the union in 2014 but, ultimately, stayed. The SNP is calling for the second referendum in order to repeat the vote now. The idea is to remain in the EU, even if Britain chooses not to.

Teresa May, the Prime Minister, has rejected the idea of the second referendum, stating that both parties agreed on the results from 2014 and that there was no need for another vote. The Brexit was originally scheduled for March of 2019 but has since been moved to October. Scotland is exploring the option of joining the EU separately, though whether that is possible at this stage remains to be seen.

Visas

One of the key points in getting away from the EU would mean the loss of the visas. The SNP propose Scotland take over their own relations with the Union in a sense that they design their own visa system, which would allow people from the European Union that wish to live in work in Scotland continue to do so unhindered by Brexit.

One of the reasons for Brexit was, reportedly, the amount of money that was taken in by foreign countries, leaving little funding to Great Britain. There were also foreign immigration policies. England and some of its neighbours have been very tough on immigrants and strongly conservative regarding the idea of accepting refugees and asylum seekers. Scotland says to let them come.