Brexit '˜would mean £1.5bn Scottish Parliament windfall'

A Brexit would mean an extra £1.5 billion a year for the Scottish Parliament's budget after contributions to European Union institutions stop, Eurosceptic campaigners claim.
Former Labour MP Tom Harris will make the claim that Holyrood would receive more money to spend on Scotland. Picture: Julie HowdenFormer Labour MP Tom Harris will make the claim that Holyrood would receive more money to spend on Scotland. Picture: Julie Howden
Former Labour MP Tom Harris will make the claim that Holyrood would receive more money to spend on Scotland. Picture: Julie Howden

Former Labour MP Tom Harris will make the claim as part of what he said was a “specific Scottish case for leaving the EU” at the formal launch of Scottish Vote Leave today.

He says major new powers in areas such as fishing and agriculture would automatically be devolved to Holyrood rather than Westminster, if Britain left the EU.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Harris, the Scottish Vote Leave director, claims there would be a “major financial boost” for Scottish higher education once EU students were forced to pay tuition fees after a Brexit.

Mr Harris will set out the claims about £1.5 billion extra each year coming to Holyrood at the Scottish Vote Leave event in Port Glasgow today.

He says: “The UK as a whole pays £350 million a week to the EU for the privilege of maintaining its membership. Scotland’s share of that works out at £1.5bn a year – more than half of the annual Scottish education budget.

“Any repatriated power that isn’t already explicitly denoted as ‘Reserved’ in the Scotland Act 1998 is assumed to be the remit of the Scottish Parliament.”