A LEADING lobbyist has held talks with the SNP over moves to position Edinburgh as a centre of financial services after Nicola Sturgeon vowed to secure access to the European single market.

Cicero Group executive chairman Iain Anderson has met with the party's deputy leader Stewart Hosie to discuss the city's ambitions to usurp London as a financial powerhouse in the wake of the UK vote to leave the European Union.

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Mr Anderson, whose clients include City heavyweights BlackRock, Rio Tinto and Barclays, told business website City A.M., that his firm would be willing to back the party's plans to access Europe.

“I'm engaging with the SNP directly because in the political vacuum we now have in Westminster, financial services firms need to know whether or not there are options, and if one of those options is the single market in Edinburgh then that has to be treated seriously,” Mr Anderson said.

“And as they develop their thinking on accessing the single market we are very happy to contribute.”

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The business website reports that the news has been welcomed by "Scottish grandees" within London's financial sector.

One City chief executive told City A.M. they would be “very interested” in relocating if Scotland was able to secure single market status.

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It comes as Sturgeon flies to Brussels to stress the party's commitment to retaining EU membership.

Mr Anderson, however, said: “This is all about ensuring that City firms have access to the single market. The question of independence is up to the SNP.”