'The experiment did not work'
made an appearance at the meeting, but there were no Tory or LibDem MSPs who deigned to show face, and only three members of the press sat in .You would think that there would be significant interest in this issue and the impact on Scotland – what has been lost in the six years that have passed in comparison to the little, if anything, gained – but it’s a typical Tory tactic to stick your fingers in your ears and claim everything is fine.
There wasn’t much talk about the process of rejoining, as it was a cross-party event, other than to say it should not be the focus, butRussell also said that the priority should be put on making the case for rejoining as a “legitimate political objective”. While this may work in Scotland, which voted 62% remain, it’s difficult to see how this would play out in the rest of the UK and, in particular, England.
However, with both current UK Westminster party leaders insistent on maintaining Brexit despite all its faults – it’s unclear how that could happen in practice. And, as Russell pointed out, during 2014, promises were made about EU membership that pushed many to vote No.He told the Sunday National: “The debate about Scottish independence will include a debate about membership of the EU undoubtedly, but all the polling evidence would show that there is a substantial majority in favour. Indeed, it would also appear to be true that failing to suggest an independent Scotland as member of the EU would put some people off.