(Mid Scotland and Fife)
(Con):...Mr Russell has just mentioned
what business wants. Every leading business organisation in
Scotland—the Confederation of British Industry, the chambers of
commerce, NFU Scotland, the Scottish Fishermen’s
Federation and the Scotch Whisky Association—and leading figures
such as Sir Ian Wood are urging the Scottish Government and
politicians at Westminster to back the Prime Minister’s deal.
Should he not listen to business?
(Glasgow)
(Con):...Business backs the
deal. NFU Scotland backs the deal, as does the
Scotch Whisky Association and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
and Mike Russell decided to
ignore all those voices and to condemn the Prime Minister’s deal
before they had even seen it. However, the time for nationalist
game playing is over. As a country, we have a choice to make: do
we back the Prime Minister’s carefully negotiated withdrawal
agreement or do we crash out of the European Union on a no-deal
basis? [Interruption.] My answer is simple: we should reject today’s
SNP motion and we should support the Prime Minister’s efforts to
secure an orderly, negotiated and agreed withdrawal from the
European Union...
(Highlands and Islands)
(Con)::...Last Friday, I met a livestock
farmer in Lochaber—I refer members to my entry in the register of
members’ interests. That farmer simply wants to get on with his
work. He will have lambs to sell in the spring, and he urged me
to support the deal. Farming is hugely important to the Scottish
economy, so it is no wonder that the NFUS has said that the deal
“will ensure that there are no hard barriers
on the day we leave the European Union, and will allow trade in
agricultural goods and UK food & drink to continue throughout
the transition period largely as before. This opportunity needs
to be taken”.
I repeat:
“This opportunity needs to be taken”...
:...When
it comes to the vote, there is a clear choice to be made both
here tonight and in the House of Commons next week. We can listen
to all those who are calling for support for the withdrawal
agreement—the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the CBI in Scotland,
leading business figures such as Sir Ian Wood, the Scottish
Fishermen’s Federation, NFU Scotland and the Scotch Whisky
Association—and back the Prime Minister, or we can take our lead
from the SNP and vote it down, leading us towards a no-deal
Brexit with the catastrophe that that might well turn out to
be...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
