Five former EU commissioners have joined forces to warn of the impact of a Yes vote on Scotland’s European status.
The Labour and Conservative peers – Peter Mandelson, Chris Patten, Leon Brittan, Neil Kinnock and Christopher Tugendhat – cast doubt on the nation’s chances of a smooth application to re-join.
In a joint statement, they said: “People from the president of the European Commission to the greatest living expert on EU law, to the Spanish Europe Minister and the leader of the Socialists in the European Parliament all agree: if Scotland leaves the UK it also leaves the EU.
“There would – and could – be no ‘seamless transition’.
“The Spanish Government has made it clear that re-joining the EU would not be easy for Scotland and could take several years.
“At best there is no guarantee that Scotland would keep the hard won opt outs and special terms that Britain has achieved over the years, including being out of the Euro, free from EU control over national budgets, retaining the rebate that protects UK taxpayers, and keeping the VAT exemptions on everyday goods and control over our borders.”
They added: “The whole point of the European Union is to bring people together, not divide them.
“A European future for Scotland is best secured by staying together in the United Kingdom.”