Nicola Sturgeon has attacked the Conservative government’s “cloud of secrecy” over Brexit as she warned the Prime Minister not to water down Scotland’s role in negotiations.
The first minister told MSPs she refused to be “window dressing in a talking shop” for the UK-wide development of its bargaining position with Brussels.
The UK, as a whole, voted to leave the EU in June, but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain.
Delivering her second statement to Holyrood on Scotland’s relationship with Europe, Ms Sturgeon said: “The Scottish Government will not be window dressing in a talking shop to allow the UK government to simply tick a box.
“We expect to have – along with other devolved administrations – a role in decision making.
“We expect our engagement to be meaningful. That was the commitment given by the Prime Minister and one which I am sure this parliament expects to see delivered in full.”
One of Theresa May’s first actions as Prime Minister was to visit Ms Sturgeon at Bute House and tell her she would be “fully engaged” in developing a UK-wide approach for Brexit objectives and negotiations.
But yesterday, Ms Sturgeon said it was unacceptable to have a “cloud of secrecy hanging over the UK Government’s negotiating position”.
The SNP leader argued that independence was one of the options available to protect Scotland’s place in the EU and that taking it off the table would be to accept Scotland was “at the mercy of Westminster decisions, no matter how damaging or destructive”.
She added: “We … have to be realistic about the long-term consequences of leaving the EU.
“There is no doubt that leaving the EU will be an extraordinary self-inflicted blow to the UK’s competitiveness and it will be compounded if the decision is to leave the single market as well.
“That is why it is so essential that we work to retain the benefits of our EU membership.”
Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw described the First Minister’s statement as being “belligerent and self-defeating”.
He said: “Is she just, to paraphrase her own words earlier this afternoon and as her tone today suggest, destined to define herself as a window shopper in these negotiations?”
