THE Liberal Democrats often end up being mocked when they talk of their plans for government. Over the weekend, their leader Vince Cable’s insistence that he could be the next Prime Minister had the whiff of David Steel’s infamous message to his party members in the 1980s to prepare for government. But on the issue of Brexit, the party leadership deserves praise for being consistent and principled. The only question is: have they taken the right approach?
The Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie certainly has no doubts. In his speech to the conference this week, he reiterated his party’s belief that there should be another referendum on the final Brexit deal. For Mr Rennie, it is a campaign to give people across the UK, in his words, the chance of an exit from Brexit, and activists at the conference have overwhelmingly endorsed the policy. Mr Rennie also says he will now start talks with Scottish ministers to win their support.
The policy certainly comes from the right place: disappointment at the result of the EU referendum last year, and dismay at the economic consequences, which are already playing out. People from other EU countries have been leaving the UK in droves, business confidence is shaky, wages have been stagnant, and household budgets have been under pressure because of the falling pound. And all before any decisive progress has been made in the Brexit talks with the EU.
But, as some Lib Dem members pointed out at the conference, in continuing for call for a second EU referendum, there is a danger of the party flogging a horse that is long dead and buried. There is also little evidence that the idea has any of the political support that it would need to gain traction. Nicola Sturgeon has said the idea might have to be considered, but on the whole the SNP has remained silent, and as for the other parties, there is absolutely no support. The Lib Dems could, and probably will, continue to call for a second referendum, but without cross-party support it is an impractical idea.
Making his own response to Mr Rennie’s speech, the Scottish Brexit minister Mike Russell said he was happy to sit down and talk with Mr Rennie, but he also pointed out the idea is unlikely to win the support of the Commons. He also had some sensible advice for his Lib Dem colleague: we need to find effective solutions rather than ineffective ones.
This should not mean simply going with the flow of Brexit – far from it: Scotland’s interests must not be ignored, particularly on immigration – but effective solutions are more likely with cross-party co-operation and there have been some signs recently that it might be happening. The SNP in particular appears to have shifted to a more conciliatory tone and will hold talks with the Scottish Tories in an effort to avoid a constitutional crisis over Brexit. No amount of co-operation will change the disastrous realities of a hard Brexit of course, but it does at least hold out the prospect of limiting the damage.
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