May rebuffs Sturgeon bid to have Scotland stay in EU

‘Remain means remain’ assertion by First Minister is dismissed by Premier

THERESA May has derided as “impracticable” Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that for Scotland “remain means remain” when it comes to EU membership.

At her first Prime Minister’s Questions as premier, the Conservative leader told MPs: “As I have been clear, the Union is very important to me. I was also clear with the First Minister that some of the ideas being put forward are impracticable but I am willing to listen to options that are brought forward and we will be engaging fully with all the devolved administrations.”

Questioned later about the First Minister’s proposals, Mrs May’s spokeswoman, said: “The point the PM was making was that she went to Scotland on her first visit to engage with the First Minister, to make clear we will be talking to the Scottish Government as part of these negotiations. We want to listen to their views but are also very clear that we will be leaving the EU; we will be delivering on that.”

Asked if Scotland would be leaving the EU as well, the spokeswoman nodded.

“The decision of the British people to leave the EU – Brexit means Brexit – is our position,” she replied.

However, a senior SNP source was adamant that Mrs May had given herself “wriggle room” on the Scotland issue and declared: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

He stressed how there was a political will across Europe and certainly in Scotland to maintain the nation’s EU status and that there was a long way to go through the process.

“These are still very early stages and I would just say that the EU has shown in the past that innovative solutions can be found on tricky issues and this is a tricky issue,” added the source.

During Commons exchanges, Angus Robertson, the SNP leader at Westminster, noted how Sigmar Gabriel, the German Vice-Chancellor, had “already confirmed how Scotland is able to remain in the European Union”, and that continental support for this was highest in Germany.

The Moray MP, who has emphasised the possibility of a second independence referendum should Scotland be taken out of the EU against its wishes, added: “We in Scotland will do everything – everything – that is necessary for us to remain in the EU.”

The Prime Minister responded, saying she found Mr Robertson’s remarks “a little confusing, given that only two years ago in the Scottish referendum, the SNP was campaigning for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom, which would have meant leaving the European Union”.

On her first foreign trip to Berlin, Mrs May made it clear the UK would not begin formal Brexit negotiations this year; a view supported by Angela Merkel.

The Prime Minister explained that getting a “sensible and orderly departure” from the EU would take time.

However, at a joint press conference with the German Chancellor, she stressed that while Britain would be leaving the EU, it would not be leaving Europe and that it wanted to retain the closest economic links.

“I have been clear that Brexit means Brexit and the United Kingdom is going to make a success of it,” said Mrs May. “But I also want to be clear here today, and across Europe in the weeks ahead, that we are not walking away from our European friends.

“Britain will remain an outwardlooking country and Germany will remain a vital partner and a special friend for us.”

Ms Merkel said it was “absolutely understandable” that the UK would want to delay the opening of the formal Brexit talks to give itself time to work out its negotiating position.

Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, Downing Street announced the UK was to relinquish its forthcoming six-month presidency of the Council of the EU.

It had been scheduled to take up the presidency – which rotates on a six-monthly basis among the 28 EU countries – in the second half of 2017.

But Mrs May had decided Britain should skip its turn in the light of the Brexit vote in June’s referendum.

Today, the PM will travel to Paris to meet with President Francois Hollande.

Brexit will be on the agenda along with the terror attack in Nice.