The view from Yes for EU – Part 1: the potential of Scottish independence

Pro-EU bodies in England continue to campaign, but are blind to the potential of Scottish independence for hastening the return of all four nations to the EU. 

by Morag Williamson, Yes for EU team

It’s not just we Scots who are campaigning to get back into the EU – the pro-EU movement down south is increasingly active, and that’s good to see. In the years 2016-19 many of us campaigned against Brexit, and we had strong links with anti-Brexit pro-EU groups south of the border. Following the 2019 general election result and the inevitability of Brexit, we created this Yes for EU group, and we maintained links for a while; but although pro-EU groups in England generally understood and empathised with Scots’ anger at our democratic wish to remain in the EU being ignored by Westminster, there was little interest in our potential route back to the EU via Scottish independence.

National Rejoin March, 28th September 2024, London
Source: marchforrejoin.co.uk

Naturally we empathise with the many Remainers south of the border – now the majority of the English population – who, unlike Scots, now have no pro-Rejoin political party to vote for, and no clear route back to the EU. They had high hopes that the long-awaited new Labour government, finally elected in July 2024, would see sense and aim to rejoin the EU, but the opposite has happened; in spite of its whopping majority at Westminster, Labour has doubled down on its absurd ‘make Brexit work’ policy. Pro-EU organisations such as Grassroots for Europe, European Movement UK, National Rejoin March etc are faced with Labour obduracy that is little different from that of the previous Tory administration. And in any case, in just a few short years, the UK government may well pass into Tory Brexiter hands again, but next time round potentially under pressure from a strong  Reform UK presence in the Westminster Parliament.

Prof David Edgerton: “The breakup of the union may be one of the few good things to come out of Brexit”
Source: New York Times nytimes.com

With one or two notable exceptions, pro-EU campaigners in England tend to show limited understanding or interest in Scottish politics. Why would they, when UK mainstream media repeatedly claim that the independence movement is history?  Scottish independence is either ignored in the media or it is misperceived as being synonymous with the SNP, or something that self-evidently should be opposed. Likewise, pro-EU bodies in England frame their campaign only in terms of the UK-EU relationship, ignoring differences in public opinion across the four nations; on their websites, in email newsletters, and on their social media posts, there is an unquestioned assumption that the union is a permanent fixture and must be preserved. Any possibility of ‘break-up’ of the union is regarded as a threat to be avoided at all costs. In one sense this is not a surprise as the pro-EU organisations are inevitably composed of mostly unionist political party supporters, however it is disappointing to see their collective lack of ability, or unwillingness, to think beyond the constitutional status quo. Issues of Scottish and/or Welsh independence, and Irish reunification, and their relevance to relationships with the EU, are given precious little consideration. Yet many political analysts agree that these major constitutional changes are entirely possible, even probable, and perhaps desirable. Indeed, the notion of the break-up of Britain was thoroughly discussed at an event of that title held in Edinburgh in 2023, with a line-up of high-profile speakers; ‘The Break Up of Britain’ was also the title of Tom Nairn’s 1977 book, which had inspired the event and prompted discussion of an alternative vision for our islands’ constitutional future. A number of other historians and political commentators have likewise embraced the positive potential of a ‘break up’. As historian Professor David Edgerton wrote in 2020 in the New York Times, “The breakup of the union certainly won’t be easy but it may be one of the few good things to come out of Brexit — not just for Scotland and Ireland but also, and perhaps especially, for England.”  

Break Up Of Britain conference held in Edinburgh on 18th November 2023
Source: thebreakupofbritain.net

Our view in Yes for EU is that a newly-independent Scotland, which is embarking on the EU accession process, will likely prompt England / other nations of rUK to follow suit. In other words, by bringing about Britain’s break-up, Scottish independence will be good not just for Scots but for everyone else too. It will provide an opportunity for England / rUK to overhaul their constitution, and improve the quality of democratic and accountability processes; there is now widespread recognition that the UK’s unwritten constitution is not fit for purpose, and democracy is being undermined. We therefore view the prospect of Britain’s break-up as beneficial for all. Rather surprisingly, we have seen no evidence to date of any pro-EU groups actively discussing the range of possible constitutional developments arising from the independence and reunification movements in three of the four UK nations, nor consideration of the implications for relationships with the EU; we therefore encourage pro-EU campaigners south of the border to explore such potential developments. Anthony Barnett, of Europe for Scotland, told the Break-Up of Britain’ conference in 2023: “It is … the duty of progressive England to positively urge Scotland on to independence in Europe.” The end of this dysfunctional union will hasten each individual nation’s steps towards joining the EU – that’s why we encourage Rejoiners from south of the border to support the campaign for Scottish independence; their support will be greatly welcomed by independence supporters here in Scotland.