Brexit row erupts on BBC QT as SNP MSP torn aside over rejoining EU

An SNP MSP was tonight torn aside on BBC Question Time over the nationalist celebration’s plan for an impartial Scotland to rejoin the EU.

Scottish Net Zero and Just Transition Secretary Mairi McAllan repeatedly requested Scottish Labour deputy chief Jackie Baillie if her celebration would look to return to the bloc.

But Ms Baillie hit again that the SNP “deliver the rhetoric” about rejoining the Brussels membership however “have no idea how they would do it”.

The conflict started as Ms Baillie was saying that Labour would “repair” the UK’s relationship with the EU.

Ms McAllan interrupted: “Will you take us back into the EU, Jackie?”

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The Scottish Labour deputy chief mentioned: “I’ve to say I campaigned for the EU, I campaigned in opposition to Brexit, I voted in opposition to it. In areas I symbolize the SNP had been lacking from that debate.”

The SNP MSP requested once more: “Will you take us back into the EU, Jackie?”

Ms Baillie hit again: “Let me finish, let me finish. Listen, you have spent less than you did on the Shetland by-election than you did on the EU campaign.

“So I’ll take no lectures from individuals who at present should not utilizing the powers they’ve. Let’s speak about one thing the EU did – Erasmus.

“That impacted a lot of young people it gave them opportunities to travel. Wales has replicated Erasmus, the SNP has still not done that.

“So I cannot take lectures from individuals who frankly ship the rhetoric to you about wanting to return into the EU however don’t know how they might do it, no plans to do it.

“There is a pragmatism about what we face just now. What Labour would deliver is a much closer better working relationship with the EU.”

Ms McAllan mentioned the SNP had been specializing in the “big picture” of an impartial Scotland returning to the EU.

She mentioned: “What Jackie just described about a closer relationship with the EU, this is the perpetual disappointment that we’ve come to know from Scottish Labour.

“We’re the one ones now defending Scotland’s European future as an impartial nation, again within the EU and again within the Erasmus Scheme.

“We can try and put a plaster over the disasters that the Tories and Labour have delivered for us. Instead, we would focus on the big picture which is getting Scotland back into the EU.”