NICOLA Sturgeon has branded as "inhumane" the UK Government's failure to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in Scotland to remain here following the Brexit vote.
As the row over the legal status of EU nationals in post-Brexit Britain continued, the First Minister also attacked Theresa May, the frontrunner to become the next Tory leader and prime minister, telling Channel Four: “It is disgraceful.
It is completely disgusting that you’ve got a candidate for prime minster who seems to think that human beings are bargaining chips; people who have come to Scotland, to other parts of the United Kingdom,[and] have built lives here, raised family here, got jobs here, have paid taxes here.”
She stressed that the uncertainty and fear EU nationals now faced could be ended “at a stroke” if all the candidates to succeed David Cameron made clear the right to remain was not in question.
“I call again upon Theresa May and on the current prime minister to do that,” declared Ms Sturgeon, adding: “That would be the humane thing to do and I, even at this stage, hope that that’s a direction they will take.”
At Westminster, the Liberal Democrats tabled a bill to give European citizens living in the UK the “right to stay” when the country left the EU.
The FM found an ally for her criticism in Nigel Farage, who has announced he is stepping down as the leader of Ukip following the Brexit vote. The MEP said: "I am disgusted at the way May has been speaking. The EU nationals living in the UK came here legally and they have protected rights."
At the weekend, the Home Secretary drew criticism after suggesting the status of EU nationals in the UK would be “part of the negotiation” over Britain’s withdrawal from the Brussels bloc should she become PM.
However, since then, and with further pressure from some of her rival candidates in the Tory leadership contest insisting the status of EU nationals must be guaranteed, Mrs May has softened her stance, telling colleagues she “hoped and expected” they would stay.
An aide gave further clarification, saying the legal status of EU nationals in Britain would be secure “as long as British nationals living in EU countries have their status guaranteed too”.
Earlier, No 10 pointed out that there would be “no immediate changes” to the legal status of EU nationals living in Britain but noted that “future arrangements have obviously got to be discussed and agreed with European partners”.
Yesterday, Ms Sturgeon stepped up her efforts to give reassurance on the issue as far as the Scottish Government is concerned, meeting with European consuls in Edinburgh and issuing a message to EU nationals north of the border, saying: “Scotland is your home, you are welcome and your contribution to our economy, our society and our culture is valued.”
The FM noted how Scottish and British people living and working in other parts of Europe had “similar anxieties", saying: "I would hope similar guarantees would be forthcoming from other European countries to them."
Meantime, the GMB union called on the UK Government to “take action” to end the uncertainty for EU workers, saying it was “wrong and dangerous for the economy, for the government to keep these workers and their families in limbo”.
Elsewhere, Polish, Italian and Canadian embassies reported a "wave of interest" in passport and citizenship enquiries following the Brexit vote. Ireland's post offices ran out of passports after a surge in demand.
In other developments:
*Bank of England governor Mark Carney unveiled a move to boost lending by up to £150 billion under plans to contain the fallout of the Brexit vote as the pound plunged to fresh 31-year lows;
*a group of MPs will today table a Bill calling for a second referendum on the UK-EU Brexit deal to take place before Britain’s exit process begins:
*Mr Farage said the political upheaval following the referendum vote was “a good thing” because politics was “beginning to readjust to start to reflect public opinion";
*Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury decried the spreading of "poison and hatred" following the EU vote, warning it had created "cracks in the thin crust of the politeness and tolerance of our society" and
*MSPs insisted “vital” employment, environmental and business schemes should continue after the Joseph Rowntree Foundation think-tank called for Scotland's £720million share of EU spending to be protected after Brexit.
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