May accused of lacking a Brexit strategy
"We had a very frank exchange of views. I don't mind admitting large parts of the meeting were deeply frustrating." Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland first minister
BRITAIN: Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to provide parliament with the broad outline of her Brexit negotiating stance before Christmas, after being accused by Scotland’s first minister of not having a clue over how to proceed.
Nicola Sturgeon emerged from a Downing Street summit with May and the leaders of the other devolved administrations to say it was far from clear that the government had a negotiating position.
But a few hours later in the House of Commons, May revealed the government was preparing to allow MPs to debate its negotiating stance. She also disputed she was preparing the UK for a ‘‘hard Brexit’’.
‘‘There is no suggestion of that whatsoever,’’ she said. Downing Street refused to say what new information ministers would provide to MPs but added: ‘‘We will want to make sure there is a proper debate’’.
Whitehall officials are understood to be working on a green paper laying out the government’s broad negotiating objectives.
However, Sturgeon said she had been given no hint of ministers’ approach in their two-hour private meeting with May.
‘‘I don’t know any more now about the UK government’s approach to the EU negotiations than I did before I went into the meeting,’’ she said. ‘‘We had a very frank exchange of views. I don’t mind admitting large parts of the meeting were deeply frustrating.’’
Sturgeon dismissed allegations her Scottish National Party was trying to undermine Britain’s EU withdrawal deal as part of a push towards Scottish independence.
‘‘To be brutally frank, you can’t undermine something that doesn’t exist, and from everything I have heard today in Downing Street there isn’t yet a UK government negotiating position,’’ she said. ‘‘What I’m not prepared to do is stand back and watch Scotland driven off a hard Brexit cliff-edge.’’
Sturgeon has been rebuffed by ministers over her demands for access to the single market and control over immigration.
However, despite David Davis, the Brexit secretary, having ruled out a separate deal for Scotland, David Mundell, the Scottish secretary, suggested yesterday that the government was still open to a ‘‘flexible’’ Brexit.
‘‘One thing which wasn’t clear from David Davis’s comments last week is that although there will be a single UK deal, that deal can contain options for different parts of the UK,’’ he said. The meeting agreed to set up a regular forum for talks between the devolved administrations and Davis to discuss a joint UK approach.
In the Commons May said she believed it would be possible to negotiate a ‘‘good trade deal’’ that also allowed Britain to control immigration. She added that she accepted the need for parliamentary scrutiny early in the process.
‘‘The government will make time available for a series of general debates on the UK’s future relationship with the EU,’’ she said. ‘‘These will take place before and after the Christmas recess, and I expect will include debate on the high-level principles that the government will pursue in the negotiations.
‘‘Members will recognise that the government must not show its hand. But it is important that members have this opportunity to speak on the issues that matter to their constituents,’’ May said.
Hilary Benn, a Labour MP and chairman of the Brexit select committee, called on May to provide much more detail.
‘‘[She] is about to embark on a very complex set of negotiations,’’ he said. ‘‘Everybody recognises that she will not want to reveal the details of her negotiating hand. [But] that is very different from setting out her objectives.’’
Dominic Grieve, the former attorney-general and a supporter of the pro-European Open Britain campaign, added: ‘‘This is a welcome step. Parliament must have a real say over the government’s negotiation plans.’’
Downing Street played down suggestions May’s strategy was to pursue a free trade agreement with the EU after she appeared to suggest that was the plan.
Asked by the Tory Eurosceptic Sir Edward Leigh whether her objective was to ‘‘conclude a free trade agreement which is in the interests of the rest of Europe’’, May replied: ‘‘I agree.’’
The prime minister’s spokeswoman said: ‘‘She was agreeing it was in Europe’s interest to work with us to reach a deal.’’