{"id":791,"date":"2016-10-26T05:13:52","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T05:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/?p=791"},"modified":"2016-11-01T05:23:18","modified_gmt":"2016-11-01T05:23:18","slug":"russell-no-ukg-brexit-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/russell-no-ukg-brexit-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Russell: \u2018no UKGov Brexit plan\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>ARTICLE SOURCE: <\/strong><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/news.scotland.gov.uk\/news\/russell-no-ukg-brexit-plan\" target=\"_blank\"> &gt;&gt; news.scotland.gov.uk\/news\/russell-no-ukg-brexit-plan<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <strong> RELATED LINKS:<br \/>\nSCOT GOV WEBSITE <\/strong><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.scotland.gov.uk\" target=\"_blank\"> &gt;&gt; www.scotland.gov.uk<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <strong> SNP WEBSITE: <\/strong><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.snp.org\" target=\"_blank\"> &gt;&gt; www.snp.org<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- responsive1 --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8934562929349122\" data-ad-slot=\"3379014842\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Dedicated JMC sub-committee to meet for first time next month.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">(Article by Scot Govt. 26\/10\/16)<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Scottish Government will continue to seek answers from the UK Government and fight for the best outcome for Scotland and those who choose to live here, Minister for UK Negotiations for Scotland\u2019s Place in Europe Michael Russell told Parliament today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With only 18 weeks to go until Article 50 is triggered by the UK Government, Mr Russell updated Parliament on recent Scottish Government activity aiming to bring forward solutions to the problems created by the Brexit vote.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This included:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Meetings with devolved and EU administrations<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Public Q&amp;A held in Scotland House, Brussels<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Publication of the draft Referendum Bill<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Agreement with the UK Government to a sub-committee of the JMC on EU Negotiations<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Statement text as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This is our third statement updating Parliament on our actions following the EU referendum and the overwhelming vote in Scotland to remain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The First Minister last updated Parliament on 7 September. Today I would like give you more information about developments since that statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Reassuring our fellow EU citizens about their future right to continue living and working here remains of vital importance. Present UK Government rhetoric balances their future against that of UK citizens living in Europe \u2013 who are equally uncertain about their prospects, however using human beings as bargaining chips cannot be justified. The UK should take the lead and end this uncertainty now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The impact on EU nationals living in the UK is just one of many problems the Brexit vote has created, all of which have been compounded by the reaction, inaction and confusion of the UK Government at Westminster.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Our approach in contrast has been to seek consensus, to establish clear priorities and to propose solutions to those problems in keeping with the democratic mandate which we have \u2013 a triple mandate arising from the election in 2016, the vote on the June 23rd and the vote of this Parliament on 28th June.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Since my appointment I have pursued that mandate at every opportunity. I have met twice with the UK Brexit Secretary David Davis, most recently on Friday along with the Secretary of State and colleagues have met with Treasury Ministers and the Trade Secretary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have been to Cardiff to identify common ground with Mark Drakeworth, my Welsh counterpart, met with representatives of the London Mayor\u2019s office and our officials have been engaged with the Northern Ireland Executive. I have begun a series of meetings with party leaders \u2013 with Willie Rennie and Patrick Harvie and I look forward to meeting Kezia Dugdale and Ruth Davidson.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We have above all been pressing hard for a mechanism to deliver the full involvement promised by the Prime Minister.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Joint Ministerial Committee finally met on Monday. The First Minister and I, along with our counterparts from the devolved administrations, attended the meeting in Downing St chaired by the Prime Minister.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The meeting considered the means by which the devolved administrations\u2019 could and should engage with the UK Government on the development of a negotiating position for our future relationship with the European Union.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This was a long overdue meeting but unfortunately it was, in large part, hugely frustrating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In line with the wishes of this Parliament, as expressed during recent debates, the First Minister set out Scotland\u2019s key interests in protecting our place in the single market, securing continued freedom of movement and protecting social and employment rights. She also pressed, along with colleagues, for more information on the high level negotiating stance of the UK Government and some indication of how it would take forward engagement with the 27 remaining EU Members.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">However we know no more about the UK Government\u2019s approach now than we did when we went into Downing Street.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We do not know whether the UK Government is in favour of membership of the Single Market, or the Customs Union or what type of relationship it envisages between the UK and the EU after Brexit or indeed how and when these decisions will be made.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We did secure agreement that the JMC in plenary session will meet more frequently with another meeting promised for the New Year, before the triggering of Article 50. To put that in context, the last meeting of the JMC Plenary before this week was in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was also agreed that a sub-committee be established to discuss the issues raised by Brexit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">That sub-committee \u2013 the JMC (EU Negotiations) \u2013 will meet for the first time early next month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Following a proposal from the First Minister agreement was reached that a detailed work programme must be established ahead of the first meeting which must be linked to the timetable for, and key points anticipated in, the overall Brexit negotiating process. This timetable must ensure that issues are discussed in sufficient time to inform the UK Government\u2019s European Sub-Committee\u2019s decision making process. The Scottish Government will take part in as many meetings as necessary in order to ensure that this is the case. And I shall be speaking with David Davis later today about these issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Let me make clear to Parliament. The Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament and indeed people of Scotland are and must be equal partners in this multi-national United Kingdom. The Scottish Government will not be and is not simply consultee or a stakeholder. That is not what this parliament asked us to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There is a huge amount of work to do to satisfy the Prime Minister\u2019s own requirement for \u201ca UK approach and objectives for negotiations\u201d before she triggers Article 50. As the Welsh First Minister said after Monday\u2019s meeting \u201ctime is against us\u201d, given that there are only 18 weeks between the first meeting of the JMC (EN) and the UK Government\u2019s self-imposed March deadline for triggering the Article 50 process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">18 weeks: 126 days. We cannot afford to lose a single one of them given the vital importance of this task. A task that includes ensuring that the UK \u2013 and Scotland \u2013 does not drive straight off a hard Brexit cliff.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Monday made it clearer than ever that there is at present no coherent UK plan. But there has to be a Scottish plan, and ideally that should be one that is good for the UK too. Alongside our efforts to influence the United Kingdom to adopt a soft Brexit with continued membership of the single market the Scottish Government will bring forward our own detailed proposals to protect Scotland\u2019s interests by the end of this year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A key part of these proposals will be ways in which we can maintain membership of the Single Market for Scotland, even if the rest of the UK leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have noted recent comments by Alex Rowley, and by David Watt of the Institute of Directors in Scotland which suggest a consensus position on the key issue of immigration, may be possible. We will continue to seek advice from the Standing Council, to seek agreement on this and other key issues and I remain open to proposals from other parties.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This Parliament also gave Ministers a mandate to engage with other European nations and institutions to ensure Scotland\u2019s position is heard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Since our last statement to Parliament the First Minister attended the Arctic Circle Assembly where she met with the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary of Iceland and the Deputy Prime Minister of Finland. The Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs has met with the Taoiseach and the Irish Foreign Secretary as well as with ministers from the French, Italian and Maltese governments. In addition along with continued engagement with the diplomatic community in Scotland we have also met with the Chief and Deputy Chief Ministers for Gibraltar.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Fiona Hyslop and I also visited Brussels last week. We spent time with Scottish MEPs, as well as with Guy Verhofstadt, who forms part of the European Parliament\u2019s negotiating team and with Danuta Hubner, the chair of the Parliament&#8217;s Constitutional Affairs Committee which will take forward scrutiny of Brexit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And of course, the views of this Parliament remain crucial to establishing the principles behind our approach.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">My cabinet colleagues and I have taken part in very useful debates on the implications of EU referendum. This series will continue with a debate on the environment tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Members will also know that this Scottish Government was elected with a clear mandate that the Scottish Parliament should have the right to hold an independence referendum if there was \u201ca significant and material change in the circumstances that prevailed in 2014, such as Scotland being taken out of the EU against our will.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">That is a direct quote from the manifesto on which we stood and won.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are now faced with that specific scenario.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As a result in the immediate aftermath of the EU referendum we said we would prepare the required legislation to enable a new independence referendum to be held if it became clear that was the only or best way of protecting those interests.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We repeated that commitment to Parliament in our Programme for Government.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Last Thursday we published the Consultation on a Draft Referendum Bill. This consultation invites views on the draft legislation and technical arrangements for a referendum. This will ensure that the draft referendum bill is to be ready for introduction should it be, in the opinion of the Government, the right way to proceed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The people of Scotland, in every local authority area, voted to remain in the EU. That is an inescapable fact, and is recognised by every party in this chamber.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We have, therefore, sought, and will continue to seek, to work with every party to ensure that the democratic, economic and social advantages of our engagement with and connection to Europe continue to benefit us as a nation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There is much we can do together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We can continue to seek answers from the UK government on the most basic of questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We can continue to bring forward solutions to the problems created by the Brexit vote.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We can continue to assert our right to be treated as an equal partner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We can, as the FM said this morning, and we must come together to form an all Scotland coalition to protect our place in the single market, regardless of our views on the constitution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And we can resolve to ensure the best outcome for Scotland and all the people who live here \u2013 all of them, including those who have come from elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>ARTICLE SOURCE: <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/news.scotland.gov.uk\/news\/russell-no-ukg-brexit-plan\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/news.scotland.gov.uk\/news\/russell-no-ukg-brexit-plan<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ARTICLE SOURCE: &gt;&gt; news.scotland.gov.uk\/news\/russell-no-ukg-brexit-plan RELATED LINKS: SCOT GOV WEBSITE &gt;&gt; www.scotland.gov.uk SNP WEBSITE: &gt;&gt; www.snp.org Dedicated JMC sub-committee to meet for first time next month. (Article by Scot Govt. 26\/10\/16) The Scottish Government will continue to seek answers from the UK Government and fight for the best outcome for Scotland and those who choose to live here, Minister for UK Negotiations for Scotland\u2019s Place in Europe Michael Russell told Parliament today. With only 18 weeks to go until Article 50 is triggered by the UK Government, Mr Russell updated Parliament&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/791"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/791\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imadscotlandgroup.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}