US CONGRESS members are “absolutely aghast” at the state of Westminster and the UK’s constitutional set-up, an MP has claimed following a visit to Washington DC.
Speaking on this week’s Scotland’s Choice podcast, host Drew Hendry and fellow SNP MP David Linden spoke about their recent bid to enhance Scotland’s “friendship” with the United States when they visited the nation’s capital last week.
During their time across the Atlantic, the pair said they discovered how dismayed American politicians were with how the UK was “going through prime ministers and chancellors at a rate of knots” during private meetings, despite the UK Government constantly referring to the "special relationship" it has with the US.
Hendry added the nation was no longer interested in engaging with the UK, with politicians instead turning their attentions to the European Union.
Linden said it was important for him and Hendry to be able to express how Scotland is on a different path to the rest of the UK.
He said: “I felt it was a good opportunity for us to be there and talk to people about the fact Scotland is a radically different country from rest of UK.
“It is very much going on a different path from this isolationist little Britain, Tory government.
“One of the things I was quite struck by, particularly during private meetings with members of Congress, was the fact that for all the talk of the special relationship, once you get behind closed doors, folk are looking on to the current UK Government and the current constitutional set up here absolutely aghast at a government that seems to be going through PMs and Chancellors at a rate of knots.
“That’s not something that’s particularly good for the USA, that wants a stable partner here in Europe.”
Hendry added: “When we were out there, [we noted] the number of conversations we had when they were saying they were quite clearly not particularly exercised about engaging with the UK. Their big target was the EU and I think in the context of Scotland wanting to be an independent country in the EU, that’s a very important thing.”
From his talks with Congress members, Linden said he now regarded the chances of the UK drawing up a free trade agreement with the US as “literally nil”.
He added American politicians can now see more clearly Scotland does not want to have anything to do with the “insular route” the UK has taken.
“One of the other things I was struck by was the fact the chances of a free trade agreement between the UK and USA I would put at literally nil,” Linden added.
“Notwithstanding the issues that, quite rightly, colleagues in the US have got with the Northern Ireland situation, it’s quite clear the UK has been reduced to this little rump in the eyes of the United States.
"And I know from having visited the states on a number of occasions, that this is the most fertile territory we’ve had in terms of getting a fair hearing on why Scotland can, should and must be a normal independent country.
“They can see the evidence of Brexit and the fact that of all the G7 countries we’re the only one with negative economic growth.
“People in America can see the UK has decided to take this insular route and they can see people in Scotland don’t want to have anything to do with it.”
