Scotland 'must be treated as equal partner' in Brexit negotiations
Scotland must be treated as an ``equal partner'' in the UK's Brexit negotiations with the EU, the Scottish Government has said.
Scotland must be treated as an equal partner'' in the UK's Brexit negotiations with the EU, the Scottish Government has said.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will meet the Prime Minister in London tomorrow for talks on the UK leaving the EU.
The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) will meet for the first time since the EU referendum to discuss the forthcoming EU negotiations and the mechanisms by which a UK approach and objectives for negotiations will be agreed.
Scottish ministers said they will expect the Prime Minister and the UK Government to demonstrate how they intend to deliver on their commitment to involve the Scottish Government fully in discussions to develop an agreed UK approach and listen to alternative proposals for Scotland.
Meanwhile Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale is urging Ms Sturgeon to negotiate on behalf of all the people of Scotland, not just those who support independence, when she meets the Prime Minister.
Speaking ahead of the JMC Michael Russell, the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe, said: The UK Government needs to understand there is a triple mandate to maintain Scotland's relationship with, and place in, Europe.
The clearly expressed views of the people of Scotland, the democratically elected Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament all need to be respected.
But four months on from the referendum, we have yet to see a proposal from the UK Government on how the views of people in Scotland will be taken into account.
The Scottish Government is becoming increasingly concerned that the UK is heading for a hard Brexit with all the damage that will bring to the Scottish and UK economies.
The Prime Minister has set the clock ticking and the UK Government must use the time before triggering Article 50 to engage properly with all the devolved administrations and show that they are willing and able to treat Scotland as an equal partner.''
In a letter to Nicola Sturgeon, Ms Dugdale sets out the five guiding principles that Scottish Labour believes should inform the Scottish Government's negotiating stance on Brexit.
They include maintaining free access to the EU single market and maintaining free access to the UK single market.
She also said that Ms Sturgeon's focus should be on securing the best possible deal for Scotland on Brexit, not laying the groundwork'' for another Scottish independence referendum.
Ms Dugdale said: As the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon is negotiating on behalf of people throughout Scotland.
That should be at the forefront of her mind throughout the Brexit negotiations.
That means she must speak for all the people of Scotland, not just the minority of people who support Scottish independence.
The First Minister has my full support in efforts to secure the best possible deal for Scotland. The best deal will allow us to retain what is best about our relationship with the EU while remaining an integral part of the UK.
The results of the independence referendum in September 2014 and the Brexit referendum in June 2016 have provided the Scottish Government with a dual mandate: to keep Scotland in the UK with a close and productive relationship with the EU.''
In her letter Ms Dugdale states that the other guiding principles should be full protection of the rights of EU citizens resident in Scotland and securing repatriation of powers from Brussels to Scotland in areas such as agriculture, fisheries and environmental policy.
She said that maintaining Scotland's fiscal, political and currency union with the rest of the UK should also be a key principle.
Downing Street said that the Prime Minister will set out her vision for a new way of working between the UK Government and the devolved administrations at her first JMC tomorrow.
She will call on the devolved administrations to commit to fully working with the UK Government to enhance the prosperity and security of the people of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Mrs May will set out how the UK Government is resolute in its commitment to strengthening the union further and making a success of the opportunities ahead.
She will also seek agreement on strengthening ways of working, guaranteeing that relationships will be built on a basis of cooperation and consensus''.
If the meeting agrees the proposed changes, the JMC will be put on a new formal setting guaranteeing meetings at least once every 12 months, committing to an annual report of the committee's work and priorities; and breaking with tradition by announcing that the event will be hosted by each of the four governments on a revolving basis.
Prime Minister Theresa May said: When I stood upon the steps of Downing Street I made clear the importance of our great Union.
Far more than mere geography brings us together - and we are much more than the sum of our parts. As we move into this new chapter, we must seize the opportunities ahead, as we will achieve far more together than we could ever do apart.
I want Monday's meeting to be the start of a new grown-up relationship between the devolved administrations and the UK Government - one in which we all work together to forge the future for everyone in the United Kingdom.''
Downing Street said that the Prime Minister met all the heads of the devolved administrations within her first month of taking up office, and has made it a priority of the UK Government to fully engage with them on the UK's exit from the EU.