NICOLA Sturgeon has unveiled an expert council that will advise her on Scotland's EU status in the wake of last week's referendum.
The SNP leader revealed that it will be chaired by Anton Muscatelli, the respected principal of Glasgow University, with the group tasked with considering "the impact of proposed changes to the UK’s relationship with the EU on Scottish interests."
The First Minister added that it would "advise Scottish Ministers throughout our negotiations on the best way to secure Scottish interests and objectives" after setting out her determination to preserve Scotland's EU membership, with the UK voting to leave last week in spite of more than 60 per cent of Scots backing Remain.
She said that members would also include Professor Sir David Edward, former judge of the European Court of Justice, Dame Marriot Leslie, former UK ambassador to NATO and Lord John Kerr, formerly head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
They will be joined by John Kay, one of the country's leading economists, Anne Glover, former chief scientific adviser to the President of the European Commission and ex-chair of the Scottish Science Advisory Committee, Charles Grant, Director of the Centre for European Reform, Labour MEP David Martin, and Graeme Smith, General Secretary of the STUC.
Ms Sturgeon said: "I am establishing a Standing Council of experts to provide advice to me and my government on how best to achieve our EU objectives. This Council will be made up of specialists on finance, economics, European and diplomatic matters and it will encompass a range of political and constitutional opinions.
"It will provide the government with access to a wealth of knowledge built up over years of experience. The council will consider the impact of proposed changes to the UK’s relationship with the EU on Scottish interests and advise Scottish Ministers throughout our negotiations on the best way to secure Scottish interests and objectives."
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