ICYMI - me in @TheScotsman to the SNP crisis over their plans for a hard border with the rest of the UK. That there would be a hard border after independence is as certain as the Pope being Catholic - but the SNP want to pretend otherwise. A thread: 1/9 https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/scottish-election-2021-independence-would-result-in-a-hard-border-and-do-even-more-damage-than-brexit-alistair-carmichael-3219239

A debate over the harm of hard borders is not, frankly, the debate we should be having now. We should be talking about a bounce-back plan for education, mental health provision, and putting the recovery of our country first. Those are the priorities of the @ScotLibDems. 2/9

As long as the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon keep denying the plain facts and pretending that there are easy answers to these hard problems, however (latest example just this morning), we cannot let their wild and damaging assertions go unanswered. 3/9 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000vjmz

Her responses to these valid concerns people have are increasingly unhinged from reality. Emma Harper claims that a hard border could generate employment. If your economic plan for independence relies on giving everyone a job as a border guard, it does not inspire confidence. 4/9

The nationalists have one significant advantage in their fight to put a gloss on the hard reality of a hard border, namely the contortions the Scottish Conservatives are forced to put themselves through having backed Brexit trade barriers just a few months ago. 5/9

The Tories’ hopeless inconsistency and economic incoherence, however, should not stop internationalist liberals pointing out that independence and Brexit are the same destructive and divisive proposition wrapped up in a different flag. Border drawing disguised as globalism. 6/9

Perhaps those in the SNP pushing for hard borders and the destruction of livelihoods are not as bad as those who drove us to Brexit. Or perhaps they are worse, because we now know the real harm that could result – and they are not in the slightest bit humbled by the danger. 7/9

But humility in the face of disruption and danger is what we need more of right now.

We need a Parliament that knows reality and knows fantasy – and knows that to rebuild our country, we need more working together across all borders and less of the divisive drama. 8/9

We have to demand better. If we are going to rebuild our country after Covid, it will help to back those who can admit to themselves that the sky is blue – and that more hard borders are not the solution to our problems. 9/9 - ENDS