Opportunities for Scotland

Sir, - The loss of the London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) and European Banking Authority (EBA), as highlighted in recent reports, became inevitable after Britain voted to leave the EU.

The EMA and EBA each employ about 1,000 people, many of them British, and provide a hub for businesses in the UK.

A number of capital cities are lining up to welcome both agencies and EU Council president Donald Tusk is expected to unveil the selection criteria within the next few weeks, with the agencies anticipated to know their new locations in June.

Cities such as Dublin, Frankfurt, Milan, Amsterdam, Paris and Stockholm all want to play host to the agencies, which are considered as among the EU’s crown jewels.

In the early 2000s I led a campaign to bring the European Justice Agency (Eurojust) to Edinburgh.

While EU officials were sympathetic, it was made very clear that this was an issue for the UK Government, which gave it short thrift and saw that body locate to The Hague.

What is clear is the potential for Scotland, should it be independent within the EU, to host such agencies and other EU bodies.

Similarly, there is an incredible opportunity for Scotland with the pre-The

Similarly, there is an incredible opportunity for Scotland with the predicted loss of passporting rights to the City, to gain from financial service companies relocating from London to Edinburgh or Glasgow

dicted loss of passporting rights to the City, to gain from financial service companies relocating from London to Edinburgh or Glasgow.

While an independent Scotland within the EU would, therefore, have much going for it, the bizarre approach of the UK Government to Brexit continues, further reinforced by David Davis, who as Brexit Secretary still naively believes these agencies can somehow remain in the United Kingdom. Of course they can’t. Brexit does mean Brexit after all. Alex Orr. 77 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh.