During the heated debate, Scottish Office minister John Lamont took aim at the SNP’s plans for an independent Scotland, suggesting their desire to continue using sterling and then adopt a Scottish pound was a “thin acknowledgment of the economic benefits of remaining part of the United Kingdom’. . Lamont’s comments came before the House of Commons voted 38 to 0 in favor of an SNP motion which argues Scotland “must be independent for economic stability” and criticized the “financial damage” caused by the mini-budget at Westminster. READ MORE: We offer an annual subscription – at a price you can afford Blackford described the vote as a “historic moment”, telling the Commons: “This House has voted in favor of a motion for Scottish independence, the first time it has happened, with a clear majority of those elected by Scottish constituencies voting for it . proposal.” But the motion is not binding and Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing later confirmed that the House was “only” in a quorum. A minimum of 40 MPs are required to be present for a Commons vote, with the four voters and Laing’s presence meaning 43 of the 649 sitting MPs were present. During the debate, Blackford called the UK a “failed state” and said independence would also allow Scotland to return to the European Union after the “absolute disaster” of Brexit. He described Europe as a “partnership of equals”, adding: “The fact is we will keep the pound until certain economic tests are met that will allow us to have a Scottish pound, that will happen. ” Blackford added: “To participate [the] euro you must register with the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) for a period of two years. “Joining the ERM is voluntary, you cannot be forced to join the euro.” But Lamont, wrapping up the six-hour debate, said: “The SNP leader here in Westminster has, frankly, once again got into a little bit of confusion about what currency an independent Scotland would use. “Now, the SNP’s monetary proposals lack any form of credibility. In the same vein as the SNP, he proposes the introduction of the Scottish pound, while at the same time he is committed to rejoining the European Union. “Now that the EU clearly states that adoption of the euro is a key requirement of any membership, I struggle to find any credibility in what the SNP is proposing. “The SNP’s proposals, I would suggest, to continue using the pound is a subtle acknowledgment of the economic benefits of remaining part of the UK.” Scottish Secretary Alistair Jack also said the Scottish Government papers had “drawn scorn from respected economic experts”, before adding: “A prominent nationalist and I apologize in advance for the unparliamentary language, but I quote, he referred to the recent economic document as ‘absolute peak”. Pete Wishart MP for Perth and North Perthshire said Scotland in 2022 was “almost a completely different country to 2014”, adding: “We can’t go on like this, we have to have a referendum to sort it out.” SNP MP Gavin Newlands argued the UK “is a failed state” with a social security system “that Kafka would have torn up in the first draft”.
