That’s Democracy

Voice from Europe

By Alyn Smith MEP

Alyn Smith is one of Scotland’s six Members of the European Parliament. He is a member of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and Scotland’s representative on the Agriculture Committee.

AFTER THE Brexit vote, I buried myself in my work, travelling around the country for the Depute leader campaign, whipping up goodwill for an independent Scotland amongst our European neighbours, and producing a weekly Scotland in Europe update to make sure people were kept informed about the latest developments. I’d fall into bed in the wee small hours and be up and on the road again before the first phonecall of the day. For this, I’m tremendously thankful, because it kept me busy and meant I could process this shattering decision subconsciously. By the time I was onstage at SNP Conference, joining in the standing ovation for our First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as she announced a draft independence referendum bill, I was calm and focused on how to get the best deal for Scotland. I’d processed Brexit.