Revealed - Just how big the SNP’s EU operation really is

In Part One yesterday we showed the luxurious ‘Scotland House’ in Brussels, today it gets worse

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2023

We were shocked by the results of our research – we wonder if Scottish voters know about this?

Scotland and the European Union

Part One : The illogicality of wanting to be independent and then ceding it to a foreign power - plus Scotland's prestigious Brussels HQ
Part Two : Revealed - the sheer size of Scotland's expensive Brussels operation (this report)
Part Three : The Scottish economy and how Scotland would never be allowed to rejoin for at least a decade or more

In the second part of this report we delve deeper into the SNP government's profligacy in maintaining a luxurious suite of offices with 30 staff in 'Scotland House' in Brussels. We consider the results shocking. Tomorrow we look into Scotland's finances and how they will not pass the EU's tests. And we will reveal just how dependent Scotland is on its home market in the rest of the UK.

The sheer size of the SNP's operation in Brussels

As we reported yesterday, the UK government has a ‘UK National Parliament Office’ in Brussels, staffed by two individuals, and the British Embassy.

By contrast, in the Scottish government’s luxurious headquarters in ‘Scotland House’ sit an astonishing total of 30 directors and staff, employed by the Scottish government.

The details follow (we know the names and full contact details of each, but choose not to reveal them).

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The scope of the SNP's operation in Brussels

1. ‘Scotland Europa’ directors and staff

Head of Brussels Office
Senior EU Policy & Funding Executive
Senior EU Policy & Funding Executive
Senior EU Policy & Funding Executive
Policy and Communications Executive
Policy and Communications Executive
Scotland House Coordinator - Conference Centre & Facilities
Finance
EU Policy & Events Stagiaire
EU Policy & Events Stagiaire

2. Scottish government’s ‘Brussels Office’ directors and staff (housed in the same building)

Director, Brussels
Deputy Director, Brussels
Personal Assistant to the Director and Deputy Director
Senior Policy Adviser: EU Engagement, Institutions and Events
Policy Adviser: EU Engagement, Institutions, Culture and Erasmus
Policy Adviser: European Parliament and Bilateral Relations
Senior Policy Adviser: Justice and Home Affairs
Net Zero, Environment, Marine and Rural Affairs
Senior Policy Adviser: Agriculture and Climate Change
Policy Adviser: Environment and Transport
Senior Policy Adviser: Trade, Digital, Financial Services and Tax
Policy Adviser: Health, Employment, Social Security
Senior Policy Adviser: Research and Innovation, EU Programmes and Funding
Policy Adviser: Research and Innovation, Higher Education and EU Funding
Communications Lead
Visits and Events Manager
Corporate Services and Policy Support Officer
Finance Officer
Communications and Events Intern
Policy and Events Intern

Total employed currently by the Scottish government in its expensive Brussels HQ : 30

It gets worse

Even this huge team is apparently not enough for the SNP. We can reveal the recruitment drive currently underway to augment what they have already.

Intern, salary €1,300 per month plus benefits
Intern, salary €1,300 per month plus benefits
Admin assistant, salary neg, with 32 days holidays, transport, meal vouchers, ecocheques, health insurance, pension scheme
Senior EU Policy and Funding Executive - Environment, Industry and Innovation, salary neg, with 32 days holidays, transport, meal vouchers, ecocheques, health insurance, pension scheme

Taking the cost of the rental of the building into account plus its maintenance, plus the staff costs with all the benefits such as more than six weeks of paid holiday, short working hours, and a pension scheme, this is costing the Scottish people a fortune each year.

And all this is being subsidised by the English taxpayer, via the Barnett formula.

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The rest of the UK subsidises Scotland via ‘the Barnett formula’

The ‘Barnett formula’ is essentially a subsidy to Scotland and its people, from England. It is currently the equivalent of approximately £2,000 per person per year.

Named after its originator, the Labour minister Joel Barnett, it was designed as a short-term measure to cover Scotland’s transition to being devolved in 1979. Since then no government has rescinded it, as it is seen as being ‘a hot potato’.

Here is what Joel Barnett wrote back in 2004, almost 20 years ago:

"It was never meant to last this long, but it has gone on and on and it has become increasingly unfair to the regions of England. I didn't create this formula to give Scotland an advantage over the rest of the country when it comes to public funding."

It comes in the form of a block grant, which the Scottish government can use as it wishes. One could therefore say that in fact English taxpayers are paying for Scotland’s luxurious headquarters in Brussels.

Observations

Whether the SNP likes it or not, Scotland is part of the United Kingdom. The UK maintains an EU office of two personnel - mainly feeding back information to Parliament - plus there is the British Embassy which is more than capable of representing Scotland and does so. Yes, like all Foreign Office operations it is stacked with Remainer-Rejoiners, but nevertheless it is there for the interests of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

We would like to know what possible justification there is for Scotland's SNP government to act like Scotland is already an independent country, when opinion polls show that the majority wish to remain in the United Kingdom.

The sheer size of its operation in Brussels is akin to that of a major country, which Scotland is not. We do wonder if the Scottish people have been made aware of the costs of the SNP government maintaining such a lavish operation in the EU's capital.

Don't miss our final part in this series tomorrow

Tomorrow in Part Three we will reveal the relative unimportance of the EU to Scottish exports and ask the SNP to justify its expensive and opulent operation in Brussels.

We must get reports like this out there

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[ Sources: Office for National Statistics | HMRC | Scottish government ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Fri 30 June 2023

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Reader Comments 12

1. Captain Thunderbolt , Friday, June 30, 2023, 07:19:

I say give them the wish of another referendum and be done with it, but first work out a withdrawal agreement so the Scottish electorate know exactly what they are signing up to and with the provision that they are joining the EU.
if that is done, I know exactly what the outcome is going to be.....

2. Have You Wondered , Friday, June 30, 2023, 07:44:

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So - the question is, in my mind, what do the SNP do at Brussels Scotland House - promoting trade - or promoting politics against (or with) the democratic UK Brexit vote? Because, similarly, the EU was (allegedly) founded on the tenet of trading apples and pears for peace, but quite contrary to that tenet, has been replaced by political and military ambition.
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A new can of worms to debate.
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3. Have You Wondered , Friday, June 30, 2023, 08:44:

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Very disappointed that F4EU have censored my post that sheds light upon the subject in hand in order to promote their agenda.
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"Even before devolution in 1999, Scotland had a Brussels office, which was established under the Tories. This presence was developed under Labour and the Liberal Democrats and has been continued since 2007 by the SNP. Now there is a network of offices around the world that promotes Scotland, its economy and tourism."
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Deliberate censorship adds to the Remain accusations of F4EU being unreliable and discrimatory in their outlook.
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Will free speech be allowed supreme? What would Phil Moorhouse et al have to say?
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4. NH , Friday, June 30, 2023, 09:06:

I believe the future of Scotland should be decided by the Scottish people based on the full facts. As far as I am aware the amount of trade that goes from Scotland to the EU is less than 20% and much of this is oil. This is one of the lowest percentages of any EU country. The percentage of their trade going to the rest of the UK is 60%.
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It's obvious that a great deal of the above roles are to do with EU policy and EU engagement. This is irresponsible behaviour and a huge waste of money but it is probably very lucrative for the SNP members employed. It seem that the SNP are not going to let Brexit stop them getting highly paid international jobs with no real responsibility.

5. KB , Friday, June 30, 2023, 10:19:

I don't go along with the belief that Scotland wouldn't be allowed to join the EU.
Of course it would. The rules would be bent and the figures fiddled to allow it to happen.

6. KB , Friday, June 30, 2023, 10:22:

I've got a sneaking suspicion the SNP leadership do not actually want independence. Not the more intelligent ones anyhow.
As things are, we have to bribe them to stay in the UK with free tuition, prescriptions and the like, whilst they can blame the English for anything that goes wrong.
They are in a bit of a sweet spot let's face it.

7. NH , Friday, June 30, 2023, 11:16:

5. KB , "The rules would be bent and the figures fiddled to allow it to happen"
This may be so but as Spain has a veto and they have refused to rule out using it they would probably need to be "bought off". Scotland would be expected to pay for this, who else would pay it ?
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The present position of the SNP is to commit to joining the EU before they have negotiated any terms of membership. This is ridiculous as they would have no negotiating power and would get screwed. If the SNP are serious about joining the EU they should negotiate the terms and then put this to the electorate. This would include annual cost, cost of new proposed taxes, share of existing and new mega debts, share of new and existing mega liabilities etc etc. This is a lot to pay when you consider how small their exports to the EU are. I believe that when people see the costs they may lose enthusiasm for EU membership.

8. The Brexit Facts4EU.Org Team , Friday, June 30, 2023, 11:51:

From the Brexit Facts4EU team to "Have You Wondered"
You will not find a team more committed to freedom of expression than us so your comment was insulting. We work seven days a week to bring readers information they will not see elsewhere. We were the first in March 2020 to question the Covid policies, for example, which caused a big wave of cancellations of monthly donations. Now the mainstream media have finally caught up.
Have you ever donated to help us? No. Instead you post often off-topic comments encouraging people off our site.
If you post like other people do you would have no problem. Please just comment on the report of the day, as others do.
Finally, we're so busy we really don't have time for this. We're sure the vast majority of our readership prefer that we spend what limited resources we have on continuing to bring exclusive facts from official sources to the public's attention.

9. LuxuryBalloon , Friday, June 30, 2023, 12:51:

I did not realise the Scotland House in Brussels was established in 1999.

10. have you wondered , Friday, June 30, 2023, 13:46:

Facts4eu team.
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Please note. My intention is not to undermine e your efforts but indeed to give a fuller picture to your efforts.
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I do object to your censorship of free speech particularly when I give give evidenced information that backs or queries your assertions.
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I make no more off topics posts than anyone else. Indeed, they are invariably pertinent to the subject and give a fuller picture.
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Please keep up your good work.
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Regards.
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12 comments, page 1 of 2

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