Brexit: Mike Russell to step up EU single market calls

Scotland's Brexit minister Michael Russell will demand that Scotland's place in the EU single market is protected when he meets his UK Government counterpart David Davis in London today.

Michael Russell will stage Brexit talks tomorrow. Picture: PA

It is the first meeting between senior ministers from Holyrood and Westminster since the Scottish Government published its Scotland in Europe strategy.

“We’re absolutely clear and consistent, as outlined in the paper, that continued membership of the European single market is absolutely vital for Scotland’s economic wellbeing, for jobs, investment and for long-term economic prosperity,” a spokesman for Mr Russell said yesterday.

“That’s what we’ll be focussing all our efforts on in the weeks and months ahead.”

The spokesman added that the Scottish Government’s paper, which includes proposed scenarios for Scotland to broker a stand-alone deal to stay in the single market is now a “live proposal to be taken forward.”

Today’s meeting will be the first in a series of meetings between Scottish and UK ministers in the coming weeks in the countdown to article 50 being triggered in March which formally kicks off the two year process of the UK leaving the EU. Ms Sturgeon and Mrs May are scheduled to meet at a full plenary session of the Joint Ministerial Committee.