David Mundell warns euro is price of indy Scotland in EU

David Mundell will mark the eve of the second anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum with a warning for the future. Picture: Ian Georgeson

The Scottish Secretary will also say that as a new entry to the EU an independent Scotland would not benefit from the multi-billion pound rebate the UK currently receives from the bloc and would end up paying more.

In a speech on the eve of the second anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum, Mr Mundell will claim that the stability offered by the UK during the uncertainty caused by Brexit makes the arguments against Scottish independence stronger than ever.

Mr Mundell will say there were no guarantees that Scotland would achieve EU membership following a Yes vote in an independence referendum, claiming that it would be in the interest of other countries to block its accession.

“Assuming hypothetically that accession were a viable option, an independent Scotland’s membership as a new joiner would not be an attractive prospect,” Mundell will tell an audience in Glasgow.

“All countries that have joined the EU since 1993 have been formally required to commit to adopt the single currency in due course. Would that be a good thing for Scotland’s economy? What might participation in the Schengen borderless agreement mean for Scotland’s membership of the British-Irish common travel area? Clearly, the only way to guarantee an open border between England and Scotland is to stay part of the same Union.”

Mr Mundell will also say that Scotland would not benefit from the rebate of almost £5 billion that the UK receives from the EU as a result of a deal forged by Margaret Thatcher in the mid 1980s.

Mr Mundell will continue: “The fact is that an independent Scotland’s membership of the EU would be very different from the current arrangements. Whereas the recent GERS figures showed that through membership of the UK Scotland benefits from an annual fiscal transfer of nearly £15bn per annum, membership of the EU for an independent Scotland would not only mean Scotland losing that UK dividend, but actually mean Scottish taxpayers having to pay in to the EU pot – and at a higher rate than they do today.”

Last night Michael Russell, the Scottish Government’s Brexit minister, said: “Just a few months ago Mr Mundell, Ruth Davidson and many other Tories warned us of the disastrous consequences of leaving the EU – yet now they try and pretend that the UK offers some sort of stability or certainty for Scotland.”