UK may not leave EU says Brexit secretary Michael Russell

Mike Russell says Brexit is still not certain

Michael Russell insisted there are "lots of possibilities", although he told Holyrood's constitution committee he does still see the UK's departure from the EU as the expected outcome.

Asked by Tory MSP Adam Tomkins if the Scottish Government accepts that the "whole of the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union", the cabinet secretary said the election result had diminished this prospect.

"The certainty of that that existed before the 8th of June no longer exists in quite the same way," Mr Russell said.

"The trajectory would still appear to be in that direction, but this is the most unpredictable set of circumstances I have ever seen in politics and I think any of us have ever seen in politics."

He added: "It's like having lots of paralllel universes. I think there are lots of other possibilities still, some of which are of very limited likelihood, some of which are much greater likelihood.

"So I can't be absolutely certain that that's the case, but I'm working on the basis that that present trajectory is where it's going."

But the Tory MSP questioned how the Scottish Government can demand a place at the Brexit negotiations, which are now underway, while being unclear about "what they are designed to achieve."

Prof Tomkins said: "The UK Government has made it perfectly clear that it wants these negotiations to achieve the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. Unless the First Minister and her Government are able to accept that - and to voice that in forums such as this - it seems to me difficult to understand how the Scottish Government can play a meaningful role in those negotiations."