Scotland’s Place in Europe

As an amendment to motion S4M-12670 in the name of Humza Yousaf (Scotland's Place in Europe), leave out from “role” to end and insert “influential position as part of the UK as an active and constructive member state; recognises the UK Government’s track record of delivering positive change in Europe; notes the importance of the single market to the UK, which gives the UK economy access to 500 million consumers and 22 million businesses across the EU; acknowledges the additional social, cultural and educational benefits of EU membership for Scotland and the wider UK; welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to negotiate a new settlement for the UK in Europe followed by an in-out referendum before the end of 2017; notes that no other mainstream political party has publicly given a commitment to give the UK electorate a choice in a referendum on EU membership; further notes that the 1975 referendum on the UK's membership of the European Economic Community was held on the basis of a simple one-person-one-vote system, and observes that the UK Government agreed with the Scottish Government to legislate for a fair, legal and decisive referendum in Scotland with no additional requirements other than a simple majority of votes."