Month: February 2020

Brexit Day: Prime Minister addresses the nation

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation last night as the UK finally left the European Union:

Tonight we are leaving the European Union

For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come

And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss

And then of course there is a third group – perhaps the biggest – who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end

I understand all those feelings, and our job as the government – my job – is to bring this country together now and take us forward

And the most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning

This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act in our great national drama

And yes it is partly about using these new powers – this recaptured sovereignty – to deliver the changes people voted for

Whether that is by controlling immigration or creating freeports or liberating our fishing industry or doing free trade deals

Or simply making our laws and rules for the benefit of the people of this country

And of course I think that is the right and healthy and democratic thing to do

Because for all its strengths and for all its admirable qualities, the EU has evolved over 50 years in a direction that no longer suits this country

And that is a judgment that you, the people, have now confirmed at the polls

Not once but twice

And yet this moment is far bigger than that

It is not just about some legal extrication

It is potentially a moment of real national renewal and change

This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances – your family’s life chances – should depend on which part of the country you grow up in

This is the moment when we really begin to unite and level up

Defeating crime, transforming our NHS, and with better education, with superb technology

And with the biggest revival of our infrastructure since the Victorians

We will spread hope and opportunity to every part of the UK

And if we can get this right I believe that with every month that goes by we will grow in confidence not just at home but abroad

And in our diplomacy, in our fight against climate change,

In our campaigns for human rights or female education or free trade we will rediscover muscles that we have not used for decades

The power of independent thought and action

Not because we want to detract from anything done by our EU friends – of course not

We want this to be the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation

Between the EU and an energetic Britain.

A Britain that is simultaneously a great European power

And truly global in our range and ambitions

And when I look at this country’s incredible assets

Our scientists, our engineers, our world-leading universities, our armed forces

When I look at the potential of this country waiting to be unleashed

I know that we can turn this opportunity into a stunning success

And whatever the bumps in the road ahead

I know that we will succeed

We have obeyed the people

We have taken back the tools of self-government

Now is the time to use those tools to unleash the full potential of this brilliant country and to make better the lives of everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom.

Brexit: ‘Leave a light on for Scotland’

A flurry of activities signalling the Scottish Government’s desire to remain close to the European Union were undertaken yesterday, Friday 31 January, as Scotland was taken out of the EU ‘without its consent’.

The First Minister wrote an open letter to Europe, which will be published across the EU:

Letter from Nicola Sturgeon to Europe regarding the UK leaving the European Union.

Published: 31 Jan 2020
First Minister’s letter to Europe: 31 January 2020

Dear  European friends and neighbours

The UK is leaving the European Union this evening. Those are words I had hoped never to have to write. Not least because an overwhelming majority of people in Scotland did not vote for this. 

Scotland is a proud European nation and I profoundly regret the UK’s decision to leave. The European Union has brought together like-minded, independent nations on equal terms to work together for the mutual benefit of all our citizens.

These benefits, including being part of a single market of more than 500 million people, have been well rehearsed in economic terms. But today is not about numbers – it is about people.

Scotland is home to more than 230,000 EU citizens, who are welcome in Scotland as our friends and family. These are people who contribute to Scotland’s vibrant cultural diversity, who save lives in our health service, who teach our children and who have built homes and businesses across the country.

From the very start of the Brexit process I have been clear that Scotland remains their home and they are welcome to stay. Likewise, many thousands of Scots have made their home in countries across Europe and I am grateful for the warm welcome they continue to receive.

Scotland may lie on the edge of Europe, but we have always been – and want to remain – at its heart. Scots have benefitted hugely from being able to live, work and travel in the rest of the European Union.  The links between the people of Scotland and nations across the European Union run deep. 

I believe that Scotland has the right to choose its own future and that the best option for Scotland is to be an independent country, in the EU. In the meantime we will stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of Europe around our shared values and interests.

The UK’s exit from the EU may be marked with celebrations by some in other parts of the UK, but I am writing to you today – a very symbolic day – to send a strong message of solidarity, and of hope, to our European friends and neighbours. Scotland very much hopes to resume our membership of the European Union in the future, as an equal member.

It would mean a great deal for the people of Scotland to know that our European friends stand in solidarity with us at this time.

Please leave a light on for Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon
First Minister of Scotland

Cabinet Secretary for Constitutional Relations Michael Russell, who is delivering a statement on Brexit in the Scottish Parliament today, will attended a European Movement event in Edinburgh.

He urged Europe to #LeaveALightOn for Scotland, until the country can determine its own future.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and the External Affairs Fiona Hyslop chaired a meeting of European consular corps in Edinburgh and went on to attend a meeting at the French Institute in Edinburgh to discuss future collaborations and common interests.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman issued a letter of thanks and reassurance to EU nationals working in the health and social care services.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney visited Dundee University to meet with EU students.

Two Scottish Government buildings in Edinburgh, St Andrew’s House and Victoria Quay, were lit in the blue and yellow colours of the European flag and the European flag was flown at St Andrew’s House and Victoria Quay, as well as at Scotland House in Brussels.

Mr Russell said: “For the majority of Scotland, this is not a day of celebration, it is a day for the sad and sombre acknowledgement that Scotland is being forced to leave the European Union against its will.

“Therefore it is fitting to mark the occasion, and to reassert our desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with our European friends around our many shared values and interests in the future.

“We believe Scotland has the right to choose its own future and that the best option for this country is to be independent, within the European Union.

“Until that day comes, we ask that Europe leave a light on for Scotland.”

As the UK prepared to leave the European Union, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman wrote to all EU nationals working in Scotland’s health and social care services to thank them for the work they do and to stress that they are welcome in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has produced a package of support to help EU citizens stay in Scotland, including £250,000 to fund community based support across Scotland and a national support and advice service for all citizens in Scotland affected by the UK Government’s EU Settlement Scheme.

Ms Freeman said: “I know many EU citizens living and working in Scotland are feeling increasingly uncertain now that Brexit is upon us and many will share the sadness I feel that Scotland is being taken out of the EU against our wishes.

“I am fortunate that almost every day I get to see the hard work and dedication of our NHS and care staff; staff born and raised in Scotland, staff from elsewhere in the UK and staff from around the world. Our EU staff play a vital role in all of that and I am truly grateful for the work that you do.

“While the uncertainty around the UK’s future relationship with the EU will go on for some time, I want to reassure you that protecting your rights continues to be a top priority for me and for the Scottish Government.

“My message to everyone from the EU who lives and works here is Scotland is your home, you are our family, and we’d be privileged if you would stay here with us.”

External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop has launched a document, explaining how Scotland will continue to work with the EU over the next five years, despite Brexit.

She will chair a diplomatic meeting of Scotland’s Consular Corps in Edinburgh and explain how Scotland will contribute to the EU’s priorities.

Ms Hyslop said: “Scotland is being taken out of the EU against its democratic will – but the Scottish Government is determined that our nation remains at the heart of Europe.

“Brexit will unfortunately change how Scotland engages, but it will not change the EU’s importance to Scotland, nor our commitment to it. We will continue to collaborate across a wide range of issues, reflecting our shared values and goals.

“The Scottish Government believes the best option for Scotland is to become an independent country within the European Union. Whatever our constitutional future, Scotland will remain an outward facing, constructive nation, working closely with our European partners.”

The document sets out four shared priorities for the European Union and for Scotland:

• to embody progressive, democratic values on the world stage

• to rise to the global challenges of climate change

• to actively promote the wellbeing of all society

• to create smart economies through use of new technology

See the full document below:

The European Union’s Strategic Agenda for 2020-24: Scotland’s Perspective