Scots Brexit envoy, Russell, to plead economic case

by
SalmonBusiness

Scotland’s Minister for UK Negotiations, Michael Russell, will meet his counterparts from Northern Ireland, Whales and London today to argue that Scotland is intent on keeping the European Single Market and Customs Union with Europe.

Several recent reports out of Scotland have fronted fears about labour security, slower seafood customs controls and lost financial support under any Brexit scenario. Now Russell intends to meet his counterparts from the Devolved Administrations in talks involving London and the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations.

The Joint Committee has only met three times in two years, and one meeting was over fisheries allotments. Russell is concerned London’s Brexit push amounts to trumping fisheries and other commercial interests.

“We recently published analysis that clearly sets out the damaging impact a hard Brexit will have on jobs, investment and the economy in Scotland, a loss equivalent to GBP 2,300 per year for each person in Scotland,” Russell, who’s had the Education portfolio, stated.

Russell’s Negotiations department said any outcome from the currently written EU Withdrawal Bill would allow the UK Government “to unilaterally take control of devolved powers”. Russel himself will likely bring a copy of Scotland’s Place in Europe: People, Jobs and Investment, new government analysis that says dropping the Single Market would see Scotland’s GDP dip GBP 12.7 billion by 2030.

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