The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has called for “urgent clarity” from Theresa May on transition plans as the UK leaves the EU.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech last month in Florence, addressed the urgency on a two-year Brexit negotiation, also discussing the United Kingdom’s transition into a “new partnership with the EU.”
Additionally, the Prime Minister commented that there would be no successful transition deal until a successful trading relationship with the EU was settled next year.
“If we were to fail or be divided, the only beneficiaries would be those who reject our values and oppose our interests. So I believe that we share a profound sense of responsibility to make this change work.”, said the Prime Minister in Florence.
However, in a letter to the Prime Minister, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the proposal for a two-year implementation period has been “seriously undermined.”
Furthermore, she iterated that the clarity on the issue of Brexit and the confidence in businesses needs to be further looked into.
To the Prime Minister, the First Minister said that she is “therefore urgently seeking your assurances that you are committed to rapidly putting in place transition arrangements that will meet the needs of business”.
Additionally, the First Minister said that she would prefer that the arrangements be based on the current structure of EU rules, and that it be unconditional before the UK’s leave date in March 2019.
The First Minister has made it clear that if the Prime Minister is unable to fulfil the preferences of Scotland, there is a risk of “no deal”.
This could be “a situation where no Brexit would be preferable.”
This is something that the majority of MSPs voted against following a debate at Holyrood earlier this week.
In hopes of this being avoided, she finalised that: “I am urgently seeking your agreement that you are committed to rapidly putting in place transition arrangements that will meet the needs of businesses,” as well as the state.
Image: Photographer Ivan Lai
