Six years ago today, Scotland was forced out of the European Union against its democratic will.
We all know that in the Brexit referendum, a clear majority throughout Scotland voted to remain in the EU but that this choice has been completely ignored. In the decade since we have witnessed the economic and cultural damage wrought by Brexit and, most painfully for people in Scotland, the sense that Scotland’s democratic choice simply didn’t count.
Six years on, the verdict is clear. Across Britain, Brexit is now recognized for what it is: a historic mistake. Poll after poll shows it, the business community denounce it, and even many who once championed Brexit now concede that leaving the EU has weakened the UK’s standing in the world. Unsurprisingly, no one in Westminster has tried to mend the “union of nations” that the UK is supposed to be, nor acknowledged that Scotland, and Northern Ireland, were right all along in their rejection of Brexit.
The economic impact of Brexit according to the National Bureau for Economic Research
In fact, Keir Starmer’s government seems content to tinker around the edges—restoring Erasmus by 2027, at last, progressing at an agonisingly slow pace on a minimalist EU reset agenda but with no ambitious plan to rebuild the breadth of the partnership that was squandered and no ability to connect and speak out for the very nations that he is meant to lead.
The UK government’s hesitancy would be troubling enough in normal times. But these are not normal times.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently captured this fact very well: the previous order of international rules is rupturing, and the world is now turning to brute posturing between hegemons. We can all see it: war continues to rage at Europe’s borders. Across the Atlantic, Donald Trump’s presidency is turning into a ruthless exercise in authoritarianism at home, while he is hollowing out the international institutions designed to safeguard international law abroad.
Against this backdrop, the European Union remains the world’s most successful model of law-based cooperation and peace. The need to strengthen it—rather than drift away—has never been more urgent. Still, Scotland must trail along with the UK, perilously exposed and adrift from the collective strength of Europe.
On May 7th, the people of Scotland—and Wales—will elect their national parliaments. It will be the first major election in these nations since Keir Starmer became UK Prime Minister. As such, it is an important opportunity where voters can speak clearly about the state of the UK and Scotland’s and Wales’s right to decide their own path.
In Scotland, a strong turnout for parties and candidates who support Scotland’s European future would send a clear message to Westminster, Brussels, and the world: Scotland’s desire for Independence in Europe hasn’t faded since 2016 but remains a living, forward-looking force in 2026. This would show that six years after being dragged out of the EU, the people of Scotland are ready to lead history into a different direction and shape their future on their own terms.
Across the continent, many are watching. Friends and allies in every corner of Europe understand that Scotland’s democratic struggle is about more than national self‑determination—it is about defending the very principles of democracy and cooperation that are under threat worldwide. They see Scotland as a nation determined to stand up for those values precisely when many other countries falter. And they know how precious that is.
That is why, later this year, Europe for Scotland will again take this message to Brussels. As in 2025, we will gather citizens and allies from across Europe to say loud and clear: Scotland matters. Democracy matters. Europe is stronger when it listens to its friends and stands by them.
“Scotland in the EU” Euro-Scottish delegation in the European Parliament, May 2025
This is why Scotland’s European future matters to us all — now more than ever.
Let’s keep this flame burning.
Europe for Scotland Team