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Scottish government to set out fresh Brexit analysis paper Sturgeon: Brexit deal 'will make Scotland poorer'
(about 17 hours later)
The Scottish government is to set out an analysis paper about how the draft Brexit deal could impact on Scotland. The UK government's draft Brexit deal "will make us poorer", First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
MPs will vote on the agreement hammered out between the UK government and EU negotiators on December 11. Prime Minister Theresa May has won backing for her draft Brexit deal from European leaders, but faces a battle to get it through a vote in the Commons.
The Scottish government has spoken out against the plan, and is now to put down its objections in the latest in a series of Brexit policy papers. The SNP's 35 MPs will vote against the withdrawal agreement, with Ms Sturgeon saying it is "quite simply a bad deal".
Scottish Brexit Secretary Mike Russell said there were "major issues left unresolved" in the deal. She was speaking as she unveiled an analysis paper setting out her government's opposition to the deal.
The UK government insists that the withdrawal agreement is the only one on the table, and that the only alternative would be for the UK to leave the EU without a deal.The UK government insists that the withdrawal agreement is the only one on the table, and that the only alternative would be for the UK to leave the EU without a deal.
Prime Minister Theresa May has won backing for her draft Brexit deal from European leaders, but faces a battle to get it through a "meaningful vote" in the House of Commons. And Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw said the deal is "backed by businesses in Scotland, delivers an orderly departure from the EU and it provides many of things the SNP demanded - like rights for EU citizens living here and a lengthy transition period."
SNP MPs have set themselves against it, alongside Labour, the Lib Dems and both pro-EU and Brexiteer factions of the Conservatives. Mrs May, who is due to visit Scotland on Wednesday, has won backing for her draft Brexit deal from European leaders, but is facing strong opposition in the House of Commons ahead of a "meaningful vote" on 11 December.
The Scottish government's latest Brexit analysis will be launched by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at her official Bute House residence later on Tuesday, alongside Mr Russell. SNP MPs have have said they will vote against it, alongside Labour, the Lib Dems and both pro-EU and Brexiteer factions within the Conservatives.
He said Mrs May's plan was a "damaging deal" which would "hit the economy and living standards" in Scotland and make it harder for the NHS to attract staff. The Scottish government's objections to the deal have been summarised in a new edition of its "Scotland's Place in Europe" paper.
The MSP said: "Analysis of the deal demonstrates that this is a blindfold Brexit with major issues left unresolved. This includes economic analysis - first published in January - claiming that a new free trade agreement could leave Scots £1,600 worse off per year by 2030, compared to a scenario where the UK remains in the EU.
"This means that far from providing certainty and bringing Brexit negotiations to an end, this deal will mean more years of negotiations and real economic uncertainty with no guarantee that an eventual trade deal can even be agreed. Investment in Scotland could be 7.7% lower by this date compared to if the UK had stayed in the European Union, the report added.
"The Scottish government will continue to work with others to achieve a better deal keeping Scotland and the UK inside the single market and customs union and we will continue to support another referendum on EU membership." Ms Sturgeon said this was proof that the deal was "unacceptable to the Scottish government and damaging to the people of Scotland".
'Brighter future' The analysis paper also warned the "special deal" being put in place to prevent the return to a hard border in Ireland could leave Scotland at a "serious competitive disadvantage" to Northern Ireland.
Speaking at her Bute House residence in Edinburgh, she said: "Quite simply this is a bad deal, which the UK government is seeking to impose on the people of Scotland regardless of the damage it will cause.
"It will not end uncertainty. It will extend it. We are being asked to accept a blindfold Brexit with all the difficult decisions kicked down the road."
Scottish independence
The SNP leader also said the case for Scottish independence "has never been stronger", and said she would return to this issue "when we know which approach to Brexit the House of Commons chooses".
The UK government has insisted that a better deal is not available, a point reiterated by European leaders at their summit on Sunday.The UK government has insisted that a better deal is not available, a point reiterated by European leaders at their summit on Sunday.
Mrs May told MPs on Monday that her plan was "the right deal for Britain because it delivers on the democratic decision of the British people". And Mrs May told MPs on Monday that her plan was "the right deal for Britain because it delivers on the democratic decision of the British people".
She said: "This has been a long and complex negotiation. It has required give and take on both sides, and that is the nature of a negotiation. Responding to the publication of the Scottish government paper, Mr Carlaw claimed that Ms Sturgeon is "not interested in a deal" because she thinks opposing it will "help her obsession with a second referendum on independence.
"But this deal honours the result of the referendum, while providing a close economic and security relationship with our nearest neighbours, and in so doing, offers a brighter future for the British people outside of the EU. And I can say to the house with absolute certainty that there is not a better deal available." He added: "Tomorrow, Theresa May will be in Scotland to talk about how her plan can help the country come together and move on to a brighter future.
"The contrast between the prime minister and Nicola Sturgeon is stark. Nicola Sturgeon is playing politics with Brexit, Theresa May is getting on with Brexit."