The local economy could be badly hit if Britain leaves the European Union, MP Brendan O’Hara and MSP Jackie Baillie have warned.
Brexit has been attacked as ‘a slogan rather than a thought-out plan’ in a statement issued today by Mr O’Hara.
And Ms Baillie has appealed for a period of calm to ‘take stock of the result and reflect on the way forward’.
The SNP MP and Labour MSP both campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU – more than 60% of the Argyll and Bute vote was in favour of Remain.
Mr O’Hara said there was now a ‘full-blown political crisis in the UK’, adding: “I have never said that the European Union was perfect but it is overwhelmingly in our economic interest to be part of it.
“The Scotch whisky industry needs a European market, Scotland’s farmers need the support of the EU and for an area experiencing depopulation, we need the ability to attract people and families from other parts of the continent in order to help kick-start our local economy.
“But above all, decades of close co-operation with our EU partners has kept the peace across a continent that has been at war with itself for centuries and working collaboratively with our EU partners, the UK has been able to provide assistance to democratic governments in Afghanistan, Ukraine and across Africa.”
Jackie Baillie said she the national result was ‘disappointing’, but she wanted to thank everyone who helped to secure a local majority for Remain.
The amount of local support for leaving the EU was surprising on the night, she said, adding f the national result: “I am deeply concerned about the profound impact this will have on the economy and jobs in my area, across Scotland, and across the UK,” she said.
“We should avoid any knee-jerk reactions. Our number one priority must be to stabilise the economy and project jobs in light of the sharp decline in the value of the pound and the reaction of the markets.
“Dealing with the very real consequences of this decision should be the thing that exercises all our minds.”
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