BREXIT cost Scotland more than £3 billion last year alone, MSPs will be told in a statement, 10 years on from the referendum that saw the UK vote to quit the European Union.
A decade on from that vote, which saw the majority of Scotland vote to remain in the EU, Europe minister Stephen Gethins will tell Holyrood that “restoring our place at the heart of Europe” is key to the country’s future.
The SNP believe an independent Scotland would be able to join the EU.
Research by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research has estimated that UK GDP was reduced by 3.2% in 2025 as a result of Brexit, with this equating to a reduction in public revenues of about £3.3bn for Scotland last year.
Meanwhile, analysis by the LSE Centre of Economic Performance has indicated post-Brexit barriers on food imports to the UK have pushed up average household food costs by £250 between December 2019 and March 2023.
Gethins will tell MSPs this shows how Brexit has “exacerbated” cost-of-living pressures.
The Europe minister will stress that “Scotland is a proud European nation” and that the government believes “membership of the European Union is vital for the sake of our security, prosperity, and our people”.
He will say that quitting the EU brought about changes for businesses across Scotland and “introduced friction where there was once fluidity, barriers where there was access, and uncertainty where there was stability”.
Gethins will add: “Scotland has suffered an estimated £3.3 billion cut in 2025 alone – that could have been invested in our NHS because of a Brexit that people in Scotland overwhelmingly rejected
“Cost of living pressures have been exacerbated at a time when families can least afford it, with a £250 increase in food and drink bills due to leaving the EU.”
He will add that Brexit is a “particular tragedy for young people”, adding: “Every political generation should leave more opportunity than they themselves enjoyed.
“We cannot say that with the removal of the freedoms to live, learn and work across the EU.
“Scotland’s future lies in restoring our place at the heart of Europe. This Parliament has the opportunity to offer the people of Scotland a fresh start with independence – and it is one that we must grasp.”
