To mark one year to go until Brexit, the Prime Minister is today embarking on a day long tour across the United Kingdom to outline her determination to deliver a deal that works for every community and protects the integrity of the Union. However Michael Russell, Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe, said Scotland had so far been excluded from the Brexit process by the UK Government.
The Prime Minister will travel around the country talking to a range of people and emphasising that, regardless of whether they backed Leave or Remain, what is important now is making Brexit a success for everyone.
Kicking off in Scotland, the Prime Minister will visit textile workers at a factory in Ayrshire, before travelling to Newcastle to meet with a local parent and toddler group. She will have lunch with farmers near Belfast before travelling to Barry to host a roundtable with Welsh businesses. She will finish the day in West London where she will have tea with a group of Polish citizens who have made the UK their home.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Prime Minister Theresa May said: “Today, one year until the UK leaves the EU and begins to chart a new course in the world, I am visiting all four nations of the Union to hear from people across our country what Brexit means to them.
“I am determined that as we leave the EU, and in the years ahead, we will strengthen the bonds that unite us, because ours is the world’s most successful union. The UK contains four proud and historic nations, but together we amount to so much more than the sum of our parts and our Union is an enormous force for good.
“We see that on the global stage, where the UK stands up for liberal and democratic values and leads the world in international development action. And we see the enormous benefits of our Union at home too, as we face challenges together, freely pooling and sharing risks and rewards as one united people.
“As we leave the EU, powers will return from Brussels to the parliaments and assemblies of the UK, closer to the people we all serve and with greater ability to deliver for their needs. Each of the devolved nations will see an increase in their decision-making powers. Make no mistake, this government is absolutely committed to the devolution settlements as we have demonstrated beyond question with landmark pieces of legislation over the last few years.
“But as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I have an absolute responsibility to protect the integrity of the United Kingdom as a whole. That means ensuring that no new barriers are created within our common domestic market and that the UK is able to meet its international obligations in the future. No Prime Minister could leave these things to chance, because they are absolutely crucial to our success as a country in the future.
“The government is taking action to benefit the whole UK, from supporting the security services that keep us all safe and pursuing a modern industrial strategy which will deliver jobs and economic growth in every community, to pursuing an international trade policy which will open up new markets for our world-beating exports around the world.
“I am determined that our future will be a bright one. It’s a future in which we trade freely with friends and partners across Europe and beyond. Having regained control of our laws, our borders and our money, and seized the opportunities provided by Brexit, the UK will thrive as a strong and united country that works for everyone, no matter whether you voted Leave or Remain.”
With one year to go before the UK is due to leave the EU, the Scottish Government today set out its top priorities for the Brexit negotiations. Michael Russell, Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe, said Scotland had so far been excluded from the Brexit process by the UK Government but the voice of the people of Scotland must now be heard.
The government has published a report, Protecting What Matters – What’s at stake for individuals in the Brexit talks, (see below),which sets out the key issues people want answers to about Brexit and their future.
Mr Russell said it is essential Single Market membership is put back on the table in order to resolve many of the concerns raised.
He said: “There is one year to go before Brexit but a little over six months until an exit deal must be signed.
“It is clear that even at this late stage there is a fog of confusion and concern about what lies ahead. People and business have spent nearly two years without information on crucial issues that affects their future .
“In the report we are publishing today we set out the questions people have and, crucially, how they can be answered.
“Throughout this process the UK Government has failed to answer legitimate concerns and questions about the impact on jobs, rights and protections, family life, public services. That is unacceptable and those concerns must be heard and acted upon.
“For the Scottish Government our top priorities in these negotiations are jobs, living standards and protecting the NHS.
“And it is clear from what many people have said to us that their priorities can only be met by remaining in the Single Market. A commitment to keep Scotland and the UK in the Single Market – the world’s biggest marketplace which is eight times the size of the UK alone – would provide the clarity people desperately need.
“But the hard Brexit favoured by the UK Government will depress economic growth, cut tax revenues and make it harder to attract the doctors, nurses and other health workers we need.
“The UK Government has so far failed to meet in any way its commitment that the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations should oversee the negotiations and that objectives should be agreed. That must change. Scotland’s voice must be heard and Scotland must stay in the Single Market.”
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