Fresh questions are being asked about the economic impact of Brexit after new research suggested the UK’s economy has grown significantly more slowly than those of European Union member states since 2019.
The figures have emerged just days before the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum that ultimately saw Scotland leave the European Union despite a majority of Scottish voters backing continued membership.
Research produced by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre found cumulative GDP growth across EU countries since 2019 has reached 7.3 per cent, compared with 5.5 per cent in the UK.
The latest figures follow the publication of an academic report last week which suggested Scotland is £27 billion a year worse off as a result of Brexit, adding further fuel to a debate that has shown little sign of fading since the UK formally left the European Union.
Supporters of Brexit argue the UK has regained control over laws, borders and trade policy, while critics point to weaker economic growth, labour shortages and increased barriers to trade with European markets.
The latest figures have prompted renewed criticism from the SNP, which has consistently opposed Brexit and continues to argue that Scotland’s future would be better served through closer ties with Europe.
SNP MSP Calum Kerr said:
“Ten years ago Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson told us Britain would be £350 million a week better off out of the EU.
“Scots didn’t buy it then but were dragged out of the EU anyway, despite overwhelmingly rejecting Farage’s false promises.
“A decade on, these latest figures lay bare just how damaging Brexit has been with Britain now constantly languishing behind our EU neighbours.
“Scottish voters have been proven right, Broken, Brexit Britain is stuck in decline with our economy in a permanent doom loop while the cost of living spirals out of control.
“With the Labour Party in a state of constant chaos it now seems only a matter of time until the main architect behind Brexit gets his hands on the keys to Number 10 and make no mistake about it, things will only get worse in a Farage Britain as he isolates us even further from our European neighbours.
“It is only with the fresh start of independence that Scotland can escape this frightening Farage future and build a wealthier country back where we belong in the heart of Europe.”
The figures arrive at a time of growing political debate over the UK’s economic direction, with questions continuing over productivity, living standards, public finances and long term growth.
While economists remain divided over the precise scale of Brexit’s impact, there is broad agreement that leaving the European Union has created new trading arrangements and economic challenges that continue to shape the UK’s performance.
Ten years on from one of the most significant political decisions in modern British history, the arguments over Brexit’s economic legacy remain as fiercely contested as ever, with the latest figures certain to add fresh momentum to that debate.
