New Brexit proposals 'urgently needed', Nicola Sturgeon tells Theresa May

Nicola Sturgeon has told the Prime Minister that new Brexit proposals are ''urgently needed'' with less than a week to go until talks with the European Union (EU) begin.

In a letter sent to Downing Street on Tuesday, the First Minister repeated her calls for the UK Government to adopt a ''much more inclusive process'' following the General Election.

She said people are ''becoming increasingly worried about the confusion surrounding the UK's position'', with Theresa May yet to appoint a negotiating team with a ''stable mandate''.

Ms Sturgeon wants a cross-party approach, with involvement from the devolved nations, centred on maintaining European single market membership.

She suggested the Scottish Government's own document, produced before the election, could be used as a ''blueprint'' for such an approach.

In the letter, she states: ''During the election you sought a mandate for your proposals to leave the European single market.

That proposal failed to garner support, it is now clear that a new proposal is urgently needed to protect the economy and bring people together.

The proposals contained in the Scottish Government document, 'Scotland's Place in Europe', provide a blueprint for this approach.

Adopting these proposals for the UK as a whole will bring clarity, in place of the current confusion, and provide a coherent base for the UK's future relationship with the EU.'