NICOLA Sturgeon and Jeremy Corbyn have demanded a direct say for Scotland in the Brexit talks, while Ruth Davidson has said that Europeans living in Britain must not just be allowed to stay in the UK, but also be made to feel welcomed.
Writing exclusively for the Sunday Herald, all three party leaders set out their visions of the UK’s future with Europe on the first anniversary of the EU referendum.
Sturgeon challenged Theresa May to involve devolved administrations from different parts of the UK in the negotiations that began last week. Corbyn stopped short of saying Scotland should be handed a seat at the Brexit talks. However, the Labour leader said it must have “regular and systematic access” to Britain’s negotiating team.
The call for a radical shift in the UK’s approach to the talks with the rest of the EU came as Davidson warned against Britain “turning inwards”. In noticeably more conciliatory language than Prime Minister Theresa May she hinted at backing for a softer Brexit.
The Scottish Tory leader called for the retention of schemes such as Erasmus which promote exchanges between students from Europe.
Downing Street has yet to commit to keep the scheme, which Davidson said should be kept to “maintain cultural links” with other EU nations.
She also called for a strong defence relationship with other EU nations and said diplomats were sad to lose a “key protector of peace” in the EU.
The three party leaders all issued stark warnings against an isolationist relationship between the UK and the 27 other EU member nations. Instead they backed a conciliatory approach to the EU as the UK Government faced scathing criticism about the way it has conducted the opening of the talks.
Sturgeon called for the UK’s devolved administrations to be consulted before the next stage of the negotiations in July in light of the clashes. The First Minister spoke out days before she is expected to make a statement on her independence referendum plans before Holyrood breaks up for the summer recess on Thursday.
She said: “Following the General Election, the UK Government must now recognise the reality of devolution and meet its constitutional obligations.
“As a first step there should be a meeting of the UK and devolved governments to decide objectives before the next cycle of negotiations with the EU in July. And there must be a commitment to take seriously and act upon, the interests of Scottish businesses, universities and a range of other groups becoming increasingly alarmed at the way Brexit is being handled.
“There has been genuine astonishment from EU partners that the UK Government had not consulted Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland before publishing the Article 50 withdrawal letter. This kind of attitude needs to change and I hope it will.”
Sturgeon’s remarks came as the SNP’s new Westminster leader Ian Blackford argued it was “not a question of if but when” Theresa May involved the governments in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff in the crucial talks.
Corbyn said there had to be a clear channel of communication for the Scottish Government in the talks, particularly over policy areas, devolved to Holyrood. The Labour leader said: “The EU will only negotiate with the British government. But Scotland needs a clear input into the Brexit negotiating process.
“The Scottish Government must have regular and systematic access to the British negotiating team so that the Scottish perspective, especially in those areas for which the Scottish Parliament is responsible, is fully taken into account.”
Davidson called for moves to reassure “people from across Europe who have made Britain their home that they aren’t just needed here – they’re welcome too”. She said: “As we leave the European Union, there is of course a danger is that the UK is seen to be turning inwards, away from that shared history.”
She added: “We should recognise that our decision to leave the EU has caused dismay among many. EU diplomats I have spoken to over the last year feel saddened that Britain is leaving an institution they see as a key protector of peace across the continent.
“So we need to up our game in ensuring that Britain intends to remain a key partner to our friends and allies across the continent.
“So we should maintain cultural links – by, for example, retaining schemes such as Erasmus which promote exchanges between students from across the continent. We should strengthen our security and intelligence links with our European allies, to show we want to support stability across the continent.
“And we should, as a priority, maintain the free trade of goods and services across the continent – in the knowledge that it is commerce and trade which does more to promote peace and prosperity than anything else.”
Read the party leaders visions of the UK’s future with Europe:
In response to the party leaders, a UK Government spokesman said: “As we build a national consensus we will listen to businesses, politicians and the general public across the UK.
“We also have the Joint Ministerial Committee process, so ministers from each of the UK’s devolved administrations can contribute to the process of planning for our departure from the European Union.”
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