Sturgeon: Rejoining EU ‘won’t happen’ says June Mummery
Bavarian politicians from the Christian Democratic Union in Bavaria (CDU) in the Landtag put forward a policy paper titled “Bavaria and Scotland – a long-term partnership that connects beyond Brexit” expressing the German region should establish close ties with Scotland. The Landtag of Bavaria is the Parliament of Bavaria, one of Germany’s federal states.
The paper, published by the Committee on Federal and European Affairs and Regional Relations of the Bavarian Parliament, this week, states “Bavaria and Scotland have long had a close, partnership-based relationship.”
The paper says: “The grown friendship and cooperation between the two regional parliaments should further strengthen and enriched.”
On Scottish independence and Brexit, it notes: “With Brexit, Scotland as part of the United Kingdom is also against the majority of its citizens no longer wanting to be a member of the European Union.
“The Scottish government is therefore aiming to hold another independence referendum in order to allow the country to return to the European Union as soon as possible.”
A report has been put forward by Bavarian politcians (Image: Getty)
The paper said that the “Free State stands by” Scotland’s side (Image: Getty)
The Bavarian European Committee’s paper said the “Free State stands by” Scotland’s side.
Following the EU decision to not allow Scotland to take part in it’s student exchange Erasmus, the paper also pledged Bavaria would boost “cooperation projects between Bavarian and Scottish universities.”
SNP MP Joan McAlpine gave evidence to the Committee yesterday and discussed developing closer ties with the region and EU.
However, Bavarian MP Markus Rinderspacher, the Social Democratic Party European spokesman said the return of Scotland to the EU was still fraught with question marks and was conditional to London agreeing.
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MSP Joan McAlpine spoke to the Committee (Image: Getty)
He added: “When the Scots declare that they want to become an EU member after they have held an independence referendum and, in the end, London agrees, then we would of course welcome it.”
Martin Böhm, an Alternative for Germany MP, added: “We see the United Kingdom as a community and I have concerns as to whether it will be so good for the future of this federation if the United Kingdom splits apart.”
An EU official added on the Bavaria paper: “Scotland is currently part of the United Kingdom and therefore cannot join the bloc.
“Anyone suggesting Scotland can rejoin the EU as soon as possible is in cloud cuckoo land.”
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The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is one of the biggest parties in Bavaria, Germany (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, British politicians expressed disgust over the SNP discussing EU affairs with Bavarian politicians.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain, told the Express: “The fact is that another independence referendum would be like Brexit on steroids, leaving us poorer and more isolated.
“Rather than more constitutional conniving, the SNP should put recovery first and start to fix the damage that has been done to health, education and the economy.”
Dean Lockhart MSP, Scottish Tory Constitution spokesman, said: “All of our focus should be on continuing to fight the pandemic, ramping up vaccinations and protecting jobs and livelihoods.
“A vote for us in May will be for a Scottish Parliament that is fully focussed on rebuilding our communities and not driving us back to more division.”
“Another independence referendum would be like Brexit on steroids”, Ms Chamberlain said (Image: PA Images)
However, Tobias Gotthardt, the Committee Chairman, said: “If the Scots want that, the Scots should also have the chance to come back to the EU.”
Pledging on developing a future relationship with Scotland, the Free Voters of Bavaria MP said: “Every upheaval is also a new beginning.
“And now that we are a strong partner, it is indeed an opportunity to build something new on the ruins that Brexit has left behind.”
Mr Lockhart said that all of our focus should be on battling the COVID-19 pandemic (Image: Getty)
It comes as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the EU should leave “a light on” for Scotland to rejoin the bloc if it became independent.
In the 2016 Brexit referendum, Scotland voted to remain in the EU by 62 percent to 38 percent.
The UK Government rejects a second poll on Scottish independence, but in 21 polls, the majority of Scots have been in favour of independence since January 2020.
— to www.express.co.uk
