Scottish Secretary told delegates at Conservative Party conference that they should be “Team UK approach” for the UK to leave the EU.
THE SCOTTISH secretary has said that Scotland will leave the EU with the rest of the UK – irrespective of the strong support of Scottish voters to remain.
David Mundell, the only Tory MP in Scotland, has told the Conservative party conference in Birmingham that there will be a “Team UK approach” to negotiate Britain’s exit from the EU following a June referendum.
Negotiations with Brussels are expected to start by the end of March 2017 once UK Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50.
“We will negotiate as the United Kingdom, leave as the United Kingdom, and face the future together as the United Kingdom.” David Mundell
By triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, it allows Britain up to two years to negotiate its exit from the EU.
Mundell told delegates: “We can’t and won’t provide a running commentary on exiting the EU. But I want to be absolutely clear. We will negotiate as the United Kingdom, leave as the United Kingdom, and face the future together as the United Kingdom.
David Mundell told delegates that the SNP is using Brexit as “an excuse” to pursue the second independence referendum.
The Scottish Government is currently talking with other EU countries to try and find ways of keeping Scotland in the EU following the result of the EU referendum. Despite 52 per cent of UK residents voted to leave the EU, 62 per cent of Scots voted in favour of remaining in the UK.
Last month Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced in her programme for government that ministers will consult on a draft Referendum Bill as “the best or only way” to protect Scotland’s interest in the wake of the EU referendum.
Scotland United: Parliament backs negotiations to keep Scotland in the EU
There were some hopes that a compromise agreement could see Scotland remaining in the EU and UK, if Westminster supported a special status for Scotland in the negotiations. This is currently supported by the Scottish Labour and Liberal Democrat parties. However, there have been few signs that this is a political priority for the Tory leadership.
Instead David Mundell told delegates that the SNP is using Brexit as “an excuse” to pursue the second independence referendum.
Mundell added: “That is not what the people of Scotland want. It is a Sword of Damocles – the single biggest threat to Scotland’s economy.”
Meanwhile, the pound has dropped in value to its lowest level in over 30 years. Major companies like Nissan are threatening to withdraw investment from the UK over Brexit. The UK Government is yet to set out its negotiating position, meaning long-term uncertainty for the economy.
ITV political editor Robert Peston has said that the UK is heading for a ‘Hard Brexit’, an economic slowdown, and an increase in living costs.
Picture: David Thomson
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