Scotland could stay in single market without rest of UK: Sturgeon

The UK should remain in the European single market after Brexit, but if it does not, Scotland could and should be allowed to do so alone, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said today.

Ms Sturgeon was launching the Scottish Government's paper, Scotland's Place in Europe, which sets out proposals to "mitigate the economic, social, democratic and cultural risk" following the referendum outcome in June.

The paper maintains that continued membership of the single market could be achieved with Scotland still being part of the UK, setting out the legislative and regulatory requirements and the financial contributions that would be involved.

It further claims that free movement of goods, services and people could continue across the UK, since there are already a range of differential arrangements in operation within the EU and in relation to the single market and the European customs union.

"Talk of a hard border for Scotland has always rung hollow from a UK Government that says no such hard border will be required between a post-Brexit UK and the Republic of Ireland, a continuing member of the EU", Ms Sturgeon observed.

The Scottish Parliament would need additional powers to protect the rights that will no longer be underpinned by EU law. Areas of EU competence that are currently within the Scottish Parliament’s responsibility (such as fishing and agriculture should remain so, and additional devolution should be considered of repatriated powers not currently devolved but which would enable Holyrood to protect key rights (such as employment law), and of a broader range of powers to protect Scotland's interests and support a differentiated solution (such as power over immigration).

Regarding a separate position for Scotland the paper states: "It is important to recognise at the outset that there is already a range of differentiated arrangements within the EU and single market framework, reflecting a willingness on the part of the EU and its member states, throughout its history, to be flexible. For example, Denmark is a member state, but parts of its territory – Greenland and the Faroe Islands – are currently outside the EU and the EEA. Indeed, that situation may become even more asymmetrical in future if the Faroe Islands becomes a member of EFTA, as it is currently considering. The Faroe Islands has asked the Danish Government to support its application.

"The Channel Islands are not in the EU but, by virtue of Protocol 3 of the UK Accession Treaty, are in the Customs Union and, for the purposes of trade in goods, are essentially in the European Single Market. Liechtenstein and Switzerland are in a customs unions with each other, even though the former is part of the EEA while the latter is not. A differentiated solution for Scotland would vary in detail to these and the other examples that exist, but the principle would be the same."

However the UK Government has so far insisted that there can be no separate solution for different parts of the UK.

Speaking at the launch Ms Sturgeon commented: “Everything about Brexit will be difficult and unprecedented. The negotiations ahead will be characterised by a need to find practical solutions to a range of complex issues. It is in that spirit that we seek to find solutions that will respect the voice and protect the interests of Scotland.

“The Prime Minister pledged to consider the proposals we brought forward when she came to Scotland in July. She repeated that commitment when I spoke to her on the phone yesterday. I hope she honours that commitment in full. The UK Government response to these proposals will tell us all we need to know about whether we are, in reality, a partnership of equals.”

She added: "I accept that there is a mandate in England & Wales to take the UK out of the EU. However, I do not accept that there is a mandate to take any part of the UK out of the single market.

"It would make no economic sense whatsoever for the UK to leave the single market. It would be entirely democratically justifiable for the UK to remain within it."

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Theresa May said the UK Government would "look closely" at the paper, but added: "The Government is committed to getting a deal on exiting the EU that works for all parts of the UK – which clearly includes Scotland – and works for the UK as a whole.

"The best way for that to be achieved is for the Government and devolved administrations to work together."

Click here to access the paper.