THE SNP’s Brexit Minister is insisting Theresa May must put a separate deal allowing Scotland to remain in the single market on the table when she holds Brexit talks with European Union leaders.
Michael Russell made the comments as he responded to a leaked report in yesterday’s National revealing EU leaders were prepared to consider demands for a differential Norwegian-style post-Brexit model.
The development was hugely significant as until the bombshell report surfaced it was unclear how far Brussels would go in considering a bespoke deal for Scotland.
The sense of doubt allowed the Prime Minister to talk up her stance that “the UK joined as one nation and would leave as one”.
But when it became clear Brussels was ready to do a separate Scottish deal, Russell said it meant the “door was open” to allow May to put the differentiated model on the table the article 50 talks, the negotiating process for the UK to leave.
“This [report] actually tells everybody what the UK Government needs to know. What the UK Government needs to do is to take our paper [Scotland’s Place in Europe] and put it on the agenda for the article 50 talks,” he told The National.
“The message in this is not so much for the Scottish Government ... the message is for the UK Government to take this to the table and for essential negotiation. We are not the negotiating party – they are.
“I would hope if Theresa May reads The National, and I hope she does read The National, she will say to herself: we need to put this on the table as part of our package.”
He added: “The issue for her is, is she ideologically opposed to the people of Scotland having a say? Because if that is her position, I understand that and the inevitability of what it leads to; or is she prepared to negotiate? We need to see her negotiating to us as well as Europe.
“There is a door open to that. She now knows what the position is in Europe.
“We know what the position is, so she needs to have the openness and flexibility to take this as part of her negotiating position. I’ve heard it said that Scotland’s objectives are the same as the rest of the UK’s.
“Well I don’t think they are quite the same. I think we make it clear that the single market is important to ourselves, that freedom of movement is important to us.
“So there is a valuable opportunity to take the paper Scotland’s Place in Europe, to put that on the table, and get the compromise we asked for.”
Scotland’s Place in Europe, unveiled by Nicola Sturgeon last December, produced proposals she said would allow Scotland to stay in the single market even after the rest of the UK leaves the EU.
The complex measures put forward would allow tariff-free trade, and freedom of movement north of the Border, regardless of whatever deal is agreed for the rest of the UK. It would also mean a significant transfer of powers from Westminster to Holyrood.
The UK Government says it is still considering Sturgeon’s proposals.
Yesterday, The National exclusively revealed that AFCO, the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs, has already been examining the Scottish Government’s plans.
In a report sent to the Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs, which will form the basis of the parliament’s negotiating position after article 50 is triggered, AFCO say the EU’s institutions “should be prepared” to deal with Scotland and other areas such as Northern Ireland and Gibraltar wanting a separate deal.
It said: “Should such issues be raised during negotiations [by the UK Government], the [EU] institutions should be prepared for dealing with them from an EU point of law.”
Responding to yesterday’s story, a spokeswoman at the Department for Exiting the European Union said UK ministers were still looking at the Scottish Government proposals.
“We are working to secure the best possible deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK as we form a new partnership with Europe.
“The UK Government is engaging closely with the Scottish Government and the other devolved administrations, and is looking carefully at the proposals in the Scottish Government’s paper.”
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