RIVAL politicians have blasted Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross for ignoring the “potentially devastating impact” of Brexit on businesses in Helensburgh and Lomond and across the UK.
Mr Ross visited the area last week to outline his “fresh vision” for Scotland, with more powers to local authorities, a commitment to maintaining a military presence at Faslane and his hope that separation from the EU will bring new trade opportunities.
However, Argyll and Bute SNP MP, Brendan O’Hara, insisted a “catastrophic no deal” Brexit would be “economically and socially disastrous for Argyll and Bute and the whole of Scotland”.
Mr O’Hara said: “Scotland did not vote for Brexit, yet we are hurtling towards a catastrophic no-deal which will, without question, be economically and socially disastrous for Argyll and Bute and the whole of Scotland.
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“It is that sense of powerlessness, that we are having things done to us and for us - usually against our will - that is fuelling the rising support for independence.
“Brexit denies our shellfish producers long-established, valuable markets and deliberately puts them at a competitive disadvantage to fishermen in Northern Ireland.
“Brexit is an existential threat to our farmers who fear that cheap, sub-standard food, which will be impossible for consumers to identify, will flood into the UK as part of a post-Brexit deal.
“And Brexit denies the chance to reverse depopulation by denying us access to the people we need to come here to live, work, invest and put down roots in Argyll and Bute.”
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Helensburgh’s MSP, Labour’s Jackie Baillie, said: “It is wrong of Douglas Ross to ignore the potentially devastating impact that Brexit will have on businesses, both in my constituency and across the UK.
“The current uncertainty of a no deal Brexit and the lack of preparedness of the UK Government in terms of basic information that businesses require to operate is woeful. However people voted in the EU referendum they did not vote for this shambolic approach.”
Toni Giugliano, the SNP’s Holyrood candidate for the Dumbarton seat, said Mr Ross' commitment to protecting jobs at Faslane naval base did not ring true.
He said: “Faslane has a bright future as the tri-service headquarters of an independent Scotland’s armed forces. This means thousands of personnel based in our communities on a permanent basis, boosting our local economy.
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“The reality that Douglas Ross fails to address is that Trident is a jobs destroyer – costing the taxpayer billions of pounds that could be better spent on conventional defence or equipping Scotland for modern-day hybrid threats.
“The Tories might talk a good game when it comes to supporting our armed forces, but those words ring hollow to those who have seen the chronic underinvestment and years of brutal Tory cuts, which have removed any trace of the Army from large parts of Scotland.
“In 2014, the No camp promised voters there would be 12,500 armed forces personnel in Scotland by 2020: a commitment the MoD is on course to miss by an incredible 25 per cent - with less than 10,000 personnel currently employed in Scotland.”
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