Robertson to set out plan for an independent Scotland becoming EU member

SNP Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson will set out his government’s plans for an independent Scotland to become an EU member state, pointing to “shared European values”.

Mr Robertson will highlight how an independent Scotland would trade with the rest of the UK and Europe, and insist that EU membership would be of “immense value” to the nation after separation.

The Scottish Government is publishing an updated case for independence, despite the route to achieving separation looking bleak.

Ahead of the launch of the latest chapter in the policy papers, Mr Robertson claimed the success of independent EU countries like Scotland demonstrated the immense value of being part of the world’s largest single market.

Mr Robertson suggested that Westminster’s disastrous Brexit-based economic approach, supported by both Labour and the Conservatives, had failed Scotland and driven down living standards.

He added that by joining a market seven times the size of the UK in the EU, new opportunities would open up.

Questions have been consistently raised about the ability of an independent Scotland to easily join the bloc, particularly over national debt a newly independent country is likely to carry. But the latest paper in the Building a New Scotland series, to be published today, will say Scotland will use the tried and tested route to EU membership – the “article 49” process.

Mr Robertson said: “Independent EU countries like Scotland are wealthier and fairer than the UK, so with all our resources and talents why not Scotland?

“People in Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, but as on so many other occasions, our views have been ignored by Westminster. “

A UK Government spokesperson said: “People in Scotland want both their governments to be concentrating on the issues that matter most to them, like growing our economy, halving inflation and improving public services. We want to work constructively with the Scottish Government to tackle our shared challenges because that is what families and businesses in Scotland expect.”