If the Liberal Democrats can respect the Scottish referendum, why not Brexit?

When asked to comment on SNP MP Tommy Shepherd's remarks that if scotland is ignored on Brexit, they would issue a second independence referendum, the Scottish Liberal Democrats told Blasting News: "The people of Scotland do not want an independence referendum and a Scotland outside both the UK and the EU would do irreversible damage to the economy."

The Liberal Democrats, like their Tory and Labour counterparts, are a unionist party.

It is in their best interests to ensure that the United Kingdom remains united, which is why they will always collaborate with other Westminster parties to ensure Scottish independence is never delivered. Therefore, it is understandable why they would naturally respect the outcome of the 2014 Scottish Referendum. Or are they just unionists in Scotland when it best suits them?

"They have betrayed everything they stand for"

Since 52 per cent of the voting population opted for Brexit during last June's referendum, they have betrayed everything they stand for. They claim to be a democratic party, but by trying to reverse a decision that the country unanimously voted for, and which numerous opinion polls have suggested the Leave side would win with a substantial margin next time round if another referendum was called tomorrow, they are proving to be anything but democratic.

The Liberal Democrats are exercising nothing but double standards when it comes to respecting one referendum outcome, but not another. Their statement to Blasting News indicates they want Scotland to remain at the heart of Europe by remaining a member of the UK. They fail to comprehend that Britain is leaving the EU on March 29th 2019 and there is nothing they can do to stop Brexit, especially now that the EU Withdrawal Bill, which repeals the hated 1972 European Communities Act that took us into the Common Market, has been passed through the House of Commons.

"Opposing Brexit seems to be the only consistent line this party has ever spouted"

The problem with the Liberal Democrats is that they change their tune so frequently that it is difficult to understand what they truly stand for.

Opposing Brexit seems to be the only consistent line this party has ever spouted. They once claimed to support a second Scottish referendum if it meant Scotland could remain in the EU. But now that Nicola Sturgeon has been told by many European leaders an independent Scotland cannot rejoin the trading bloc immediately, it seems the Liberal Democrats now hope to reverse Brexit by opposing it at Westminster with their 12 MPs.

The irony is, they cannot achieve that ambition in London; collaborating with the SNP in an independent Scotland would be their only hope of remaining in the EU. Rejoining the EU via Scottish independence would take years, but if the Liberal Democrats are serious about their dream, would they rather wait ages to rejoin the trading bloc via an independent Scotland than be part of a United Kingdom that is never returning to Brussels' control? It makes sense to most political commentators, but given how much the Liberal Democrats change their mind on most policies, no one should expect any consistency from this party.