Scotland '˜could become successor state within the EU'

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to publish plans aimed at protecting Scotland's place in Europe within the next few weeks

Nicola Sturgeon is set to publish plans within the next few weeks which would see Scotland become the official successor state to the UK within the European Union (EU).

The proposals will include a plan for Scotland to forge a soft Brexit on its own within the UK.

However, it is also expected that there will be plans for Scotland to remain within the EU - not just as an independent nation but as the UK’s successor state - if a separate Scottish Brexit deal cannot be negotiated, according to The Times.

A Scottish Government spokesman declined to confirm whether the plans would call for an independent Scotland to inherit the UK’s position within the EU.

A source inside the SNP administration said: “We will bring forward specific proposals in the coming weeks to protect Scotland’s place in Europe and in the single market.

“In terms of how Europe looks at the situation, there is clearly a huge amount of goodwill towards Scotland from our friends and neighbours, and there are a number of senior and influential and people across the continent who have made clear they are keen on keeping Scotland in Europe.”