NICOLA Sturgeon will set out the SNP’s opposition to Boris Johnson’s “harmful” Brexit deal – with the Scottish Parliament set to refuse to give its consent to the EU agreement.
The SNP, Scottish Labour, the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Lib Dems are set to vote in favour of a legislative consent memorandum at Holyrood today, in the First Minister’s name, calling for a halt to the “inadequate and damaging” Brexit deal.
MPs in Westminster will also vote on the Brexit deal, which the Prime Minister has labelled a “historic resolution” to the long-running saga.
READ MORE: Johnson to tell MPs that UK can be EU's "best friend" ahead of Brexit Bill vote
Since Scottish devolution, the Sewel convention sets out that the UK Parliament “will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent” of Holyrood.
The Scottish Parliament has previously refused to give consent on a handful of occasions – including the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and the Internal Market Bill. But the Sewel convention is not legally binding, meaning Westminster can override the will of Holyrood.
In the motion, the First Minister stresses that the people of Scotland never voted for Brexit and warns that the UK Parliament’s Future Relationship Bill fails to protect Scottish and wider UK interests.
Ms Sturgeon’s proposal asks MSPs to refuse consent for the legislation due to the content of the Brexit deal and what is described as a lack of time to scrutinise the agreement.
The First Minister said: “The Scottish Parliament, like the people of Scotland, has consistently voiced support for Scotland’s membership of the EU and – since the 2016 referendum – for single market and customs union membership.
“The question before the Scottish Parliament is not about this deal or no deal, but whether this deal is good or bad for Scotland.”
Ms Sturgeon added: “The Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament consistently suggested alternatives. While recognising the UK would leave the EU, we proposed staying in the single market and customs union.
“The UK Government dismissed these ideas. It disregarded Scotland’s views, values and interests. It has agreed a deal which is disastrous for Scotland.
“The UK Government’s deal will impose costs on businesses, reduce the opportunities of its citizens, and sacrifice its own international influence - in order to gain powers it will struggle to use.
“Even for the fishing industry - perhaps the only sector that genuinely believed that Brexit would deliver benefits - this deal represents a massive sell out and broken promise.
READ MORE: Brexit Deal: Scottish Government claims key fishing stocks will reduce
“The result is a deal which is harmful for the UK as a whole – but perhaps especially harmful for Scotland. It should not receive the Scottish Parliament’s consent.”
Scottish Labour is set to break ranks with Sir Keir Starmer’s UK party and also refuse to give consent to the legislation – with the party’s leader, Richard Leonard, describing the deal as “half-baked”.
READ MORE: Brexit: Scottish Labour to vote against giving consent to Boris Johnson's deal
Boris Johnson will today tell MPs that the UK will be “the best friend and ally the EU could have”, whilst fulfilling the “sovereign wish” of the British people to live under their own laws.
In a Commons speech, he will tell MPs: “The central purpose of the Bill is to accomplish something which the British people always knew in their hearts could be done, but which we were told was impossible.
“Namely that we could trade and cooperate with our European neighbours on the closest terms of friendship and goodwill, whilst retaining sovereign control of our laws and our national destiny.”
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