MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Scottish government is set to unveil next week plans to keep the country's access to the EU single market in spite of Brexit, the Scottish Brexit minister, Mike Russel, said Sunday.
"We believe that the best option for Scotland, one which would fully protect our place in Europe, is to be an independent member of the EU… we will set out compromise proposals which, while not conferring the full benefits of EU membership, would mitigate the Brexit damage. At the heart of our plan is a framework to keep Scotland's place in the European single market," Russel, who was appointed as the minister for UK negotiations on Scotland's place in Europe in the country's devolved government, was quoted as saying by the STV channel.
The paper, due to be published on Tuesday, also outlines plans for a substantial transfer of powers to the devolved Scottish government as part of the transfer of various responsibilities away from Brussels back to the United Kingdom.
"Article 50 negotiations will involve 'repatriation' of responsibilities from Brussels and there must be no attempt to use Brexit as cover for a Westminster power grab," the minister said.
May had promised to trigger article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which will start Brexit negotiations, by the end of March.
On June 23, the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. While English and Welsh voters backed leaving the bloc, voters in Scotland and Northern Ireland mostly voted to "remain."
