Nationalist protests and quarantine threat a double blow for tourism in Borders, MPs warned

The Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP told the House of Commons yesterday, July 15, that he’s already hearing reports from businesses in the Borders of holidaymakers worried they won’t be made to feel welcome cancelling bookings and fears that will continue as long as uncertainty persists about possible border controls to curb the spread of coronavirus.

“The importance of the UK internal market is why the suggestion from Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, that she may close the Scotland-England border or impose quarantine restrictions on people from England is so damaging to Scotland and to our economy,” he said.

“After the first minister’s announcement, I had tourism businesses, B&Bs and hotels contact me to report that their customers from the rest of the UK had started to cancel their bookings because they were so worried about the border being closed and quarantine restrictions being imposed.

“That should concern us all because overnight trips from the rest of the UK were worth nearly £3bn to Scotland in 2018.

“To compound matters, we had the horrific scenes on the Scottish-English border in my constituency, on the A1 north of Berwick, of nationalist protesters shouting – and I quote – ‘stay the f*** out’ at English people travelling into Scotland.

“That is not the Scotland I represent, and it is not what we are about. That behaviour on the border is unacceptable, and we should condemn it.

“In these times of crisis, as a nation – every part of the nation, whether it be Wales or Scotland or England – we should be coming together to tackle those challenges, not having foul-mouthed nationalist protesters standing at the border shouting abuse at our English friends and neighbours.”

Mr Lamont was speaking out against a motion, defeated by 321 votes to 57, by Scottish National Party MPs calling for the end of the transition period for Britain’s exit from the European Union to be postponed to allow minister to prioritise dealing with the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis, and he claimed such a move would also add to uncertainty for businesses.

“There is no doubt that the impact of coronavirus will be significant on Scotland’s and the UK’s economy, but the answer is not to add further uncertainty for businesses with further dither and delay on Brexit,” he said.

“Businesses want certainty so that they can plan for Scotland’s and the UK’s future outside the European Union.

“Businesses are already preparing for life outside the EU at the end of 2020. The last thing they need or want is the further uncertainty that has been advocated by the SNP today, so I fully support the UK Government’s commitment not to extend the transition period at the end of 2020, because that would simply risk further economic damage to Scotland’s economy.

“It is worth remembering that nearly four times as many jobs in Scotland are linked to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom as with the European Union.

“Strathclyde University’s Fraser of Allander Institute estimates that around 545,000 jobs in Scotland are supported by demand for our goods and services from the rest of the UK. That is why it is so important that we do everything we can to protect the strength of the UK single market, ensuring that businesses across the UK can continue to trade easily.

“Scottish exports to the rest of the UK are worth £51.2bn, against £16.6bn in EU exports.

“Whether they are in my constituency in the Scottish Borders or in Eastleigh, West Bromwich, Brecon or Dudley, our businesses should be able to trade freely in every part of Britain.

“I am not entirely sure why SNP members claim to support independence for Scotland because if they had their way, they would be rushing to give that independence straight back to the European Union by joining it again.

“They would be handing newly-acquired powers back from Scotland to the European Commission, handing back control of our fishing waters and dragging Scotland back into the hated common fisheries policy.”

Rejecting Mr Lamont’s arguments against her party’s motion, North Ayrshire and Arran MP Patricia Gibson, the SNP’s Westminster spokesperson for consumer affairs, replied: “If he is condemning any analysis that suggests that borders may perhaps be temporarily closed to control this virus, perhaps he would like to comment on the practice that has been adopted by Australia, which is doing the same thing between states.”

Introducing his motion, Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, had earlier said: “2020 has become a year like no other, and this government must adapt and do what is right by its citizens.

“Our priority must be dealing with this health emergency and the consequent economic challenge. It is definitively not business as normal.

“The SNP is calling on the government immediately to extend the Brexit transition period while we navigate the unprecedented health and economic crisis we currently face.

“The European Union has expressed its ongoing openness to extending the transition period for negotiations, and the UK Government now needs to accept that offer.”

“We are in unprecedented times – a health pandemic, an economic crisis and the real threat of a second wave of Covid-19 later this year. Now is the moment for the UK Government to recognise reality and to reconsider its position.

“With the continued risk of a second wave hitting the economy and our communities in winter, the idea of the UK leaving the European Union at the same time is economic madness.

“The outlook is bleak –there is no other way to look at it – and things are about to get much worse unless the government ends its refusal to extend the Brexit transition period.

“Refusing to do so is the ultimate act of self-harm.

“With businesses fighting for survival, a bad deal or no deal will burden businesses with additional costs and red tape.

“We can stop this now. We can recognise that this is a price that we cannot pay in the middle of a health and an economic crisis.”