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Scots Brexit minister seeks 'basic answers' ahead of talks 'Difficult' devolved Brexit talks end without deal
(about 9 hours later)
Scottish Brexit minister Mike Russell has called for "basic answers" about the deal struck with European leaders ahead of talks with UK ministers. Brexit talks between ministers from the UK and devolved governments have once again ended without an agreement.
Mr Russell is in London for a summit with members of the UK government and the other devolved administrations. Politicians from across the UK met in London after Theresa May struck a deal to let the Brexit negotiations proceed.
The meeting comes after Theresa May made an agreement with European leaders to allow negotiations to proceed. Scottish Brexit minister Mike Russell said the "difficult" summit had not settled the matter of what happens to powers returning from Brussels.
However, Mr Russell said there was still "huge uncertainty" about the deal and what it could mean for Scotland. But Scottish Secretary David Mundell insisted talks were moving forward and he was "sure" a deal could be found.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell has called for a "coming together" of the UK government and the devolved administrations ahead of the next phase of Brexit negotiations. The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) meeting in London was attended by the UK government's First Secretary of State Damian Green and Brexit Secretary David Davis, as well as representatives from devolved administrations across the UK.
The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) meeting in London will be attended by First Secretary of State Damian Green and Brexit Secretary David Davis for the UK government.
The prime minister has told MPs that the agreement to move on to the next phase of Brexit talks was "good news" for both Leave and Remain supporters, saying she was targeting a trade deal which is "right for the UK".The prime minister has told MPs that the agreement to move on to the next phase of Brexit talks was "good news" for both Leave and Remain supporters, saying she was targeting a trade deal which is "right for the UK".
But Mr Russell has written to Mr Green ahead of the meeting calling for "clarity" on what the deal to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland could mean for the rest of the UK. But Mr Russell wrote to Mr Green ahead of the meeting calling for "clarity" on what the deal to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland could mean for the rest of the UK.
'Huge uncertainty''Huge uncertainty'
He said: "We welcome any positive progress in the Brexit talks, but there remains huge uncertainty following last week's announcement in Brussels. Following the talks, which he described as "difficult", Mr Russell said "we need some answers" on how the agreement sealed by Mrs May in Brussels would affect future power-sharing frameworks.
"The UK government insists it will remove Scotland from the world's most lucrative marketplace - the European single market of 500 million people. But we have no answers on a replacement trade deal, the cost to jobs and living standards or whether last week's exit deal is legally binding. We need these basic answers now." He said: "Our preference is for Scotland and the UK to remain in the single market and customs union.
Mr Russell said he was seeking "urgent clarity" on what the deal agreed in Brussels could mean for areas like agriculture and state aid, saying: "Any special arrangements for Northern Ireland must also be available to the other UK nations - otherwise we risk being placed at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to jobs and investment". "However, I also made clear today that if it is possible to create a special arrangement between Northern Ireland and the European Union, there is no logical reason why Scotland should not have the same rights.
The Scottish government has yet to put forward the EU Withdrawal Bill, a key piece of Brexit legislation, for a consent vote at Holyrood - and Mr Russell said the "confusion of recent days has, if anything, made it harder to see how agreement might be reached" over that. "It would be unacceptable for Scotland to be placed at an economic disadvantage."
A series of meetings - including one between Mrs May and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - has thus far failed to resolve the disagreement between the governments over the legislation, although both sides have cautiously welcomed "progress" in talks. The MSP also repeated a pledge that the Scottish government would put together its own Brexit legislation if "significant changes" are not made to the UK Withdrawal Bill.
The Scottish government has yet to put forward the bill for a consent vote at Holyrood - and Mr Russell said there needed to be a "cast iron commitment" that changes would be made.
The two governments are at odds over what happens to powers which are currently not reserved to Westminster, but which are exercised from Brussels, after the UK leaves the EU.The two governments are at odds over what happens to powers which are currently not reserved to Westminster, but which are exercised from Brussels, after the UK leaves the EU.
A series of meetings - including one between Mrs May and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - has thus far failed to resolve the disagreement between the governments over the legislation, although both sides have cautiously welcomed "progress" in talks.
'Power grab''Power grab'
Welsh ministers have joined their Scottish counterparts in describing the original plan, to bring the powers back to Westminster in the first instance before deciding on UK-wide frameworks for some, as a "power grab" of devolved responsibilities.Welsh ministers have joined their Scottish counterparts in describing the original plan, to bring the powers back to Westminster in the first instance before deciding on UK-wide frameworks for some, as a "power grab" of devolved responsibilities.
Both devolved governments said they wanted amendments to be made before they would recommend the Scottish and Welsh parliaments gave their consent to the bill - something that Scottish Secretary David Mundell told MPs would happen later in the legislative process. Scottish Secretary David Mundell has previously told MPs that changes will happen later in the legislative process.
However, Mr Mundell claimed the planned changes to clause 11 of the bill were down to the lobbying of Scottish Conservative MPs, rather than the efforts of Labour or the SNP. And he told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, that he was confident "the majority of powers" which are being disputed would actually head to Holyrood.
Speaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Mundell said: "I am confident that the majority of powers that were on that list of 111 powers will actually come to Holyrood. Following the meeting, he said: "I think we continue to make progress. There has been very significant work on the 111 powers that will come back from Brussels as a result of leaving the EU.
"I hope that can be agreed today." "There has been very detailed investigation of many of them and there is further work going on, for example in relation to fisheries.
He added: "What we are seeking to do in the next phase of the negotiations is to get the type of trade deal with the EU, that the Scottish government say that they want, to allow businesses here in Scotland, and right across the UK, to have the fullest possible access to the EU single market." "So I am sure that we are going to be able to reach an agreement with the Scottish government in relation to how those powers play out after we leave the EU."
Mr Mundell said this would be easier to achieve if "everyone is actually working together in the next phase of the negotiations".
"I don't think anyone is disputing that this trade arrangement negotiation is going to be very challenging," he said.
"But what I want to see coming out of today's discussions is a coming together in this next stage, not all the politicking that we've had over recent months, which actually diverts from the main issue - getting the best possible deal for the whole of the UK from a new trading relationship with the EU."
The Scottish and UK administrations also disagree strongly on the UK's future relationship with Europe, with Mr Russell and the Scottish government backing full membership of the European single market and customs union.The Scottish and UK administrations also disagree strongly on the UK's future relationship with Europe, with Mr Russell and the Scottish government backing full membership of the European single market and customs union.
Mrs May told MPs on Monday that leaving the EU would mean leaving the single market.Mrs May told MPs on Monday that leaving the EU would mean leaving the single market.
She also faced calls for "clarity" from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, replying that she had set out "very clearly" what her government was seeking from Brexit.She also faced calls for "clarity" from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, replying that she had set out "very clearly" what her government was seeking from Brexit.
The prime minister said the UK would pay a "fair" sum to settle financial commitments, avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and see the rights of UK and EU expat citizens "enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts".The prime minister said the UK would pay a "fair" sum to settle financial commitments, avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and see the rights of UK and EU expat citizens "enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts".
She was also questioned by the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford, who said that any special arrangements applying to Northern Ireland should also be available for Scotland.She was also questioned by the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford, who said that any special arrangements applying to Northern Ireland should also be available for Scotland.
Mrs May replied that Northern Ireland was "in a different position" from Scotland due to the land border with EU member state Ireland, and pointed to other "unique, specific solutions" which exist on the island, such as the common electricity market.Mrs May replied that Northern Ireland was "in a different position" from Scotland due to the land border with EU member state Ireland, and pointed to other "unique, specific solutions" which exist on the island, such as the common electricity market.