A benefit of Brexit is that VAT can now be devolved to Scotland – John McLellan

I voted Remain, joined a high-profile Remain campaign, and even spoke at a pro-EU conference in The Hague, but I’m not one of them.

I’d still rather we hadn’t lost four years arguing about Europe when the job for unionists was to make sure the SNP focused on the daily grind of administration which we know has been a struggle to say the least.

But there is now a chance to get back to where we were in 2016 when the places for the Scottish government to hide were diminishing. No wonder the talk of a second independence referendum is intensifying because continued campaigning deflects from a government record with no shortage of problems.

One of the benefits of Brexit is that devolution of VAT is now possible, and it was identified as a prime candidate for transfer by the Calman, Strathclyde and Smith Commissions, although all three recognised that EU rules made it impossible.

Now the Reform Scotland think-tank has taken up the cudgels and there is no reason for the UK government to refuse. After all, the Strathclyde Commission was set up by Conservatives.

Brexit is done. The Scottish government can control income tax, property tax, and welfare payments, to name a few, and now potentially VAT. That should be enough to be going on without another referendum.

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