Nicola Sturgeon warns Theresa May over Brexit deal for the City

Talks: Nicola Sturgeon arrives at Number 10
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Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party today warned Theresa May against offering a special Brexit deal to the City but not to Scotland.

Scotland’s Brexit minister Michael Russell told how he issued the warning to Brexit Secretary David Davis ahead of talks today between Mrs May and leaders of the devolved administrations at No 10.

“I made the point to him that it’s a rather strange world in which you would have special arrangements for bankers but not special arrangements for nations,” he told BBC radio.

Mr Russell, who spoke to Mr Davis on Friday, also insisted it would be “ridiculous” not to consider Scottish independence again given that the country backed staying in the EU.

“We want to have a good, straightforward, honest and open conversation about what the options are, and that process needs to start now,” he explained.

“But of course independence has to be an option. It would be ridiculous to say that it shouldn’t be, because these are circumstances — and it’s absolutely important to remember this — we didn’t ask to be in.”

He said membership of the single market was a “very important issue” for Scotland, providing both free movement of people and social protection.

He also criticised the pace of the Government’s progress in developing its Brexit strategy and holding talks on it.

“Four months ago, the people of these islands decided to Leave, Scotland did not, England did, but four months on we are only sitting down for the first time, I think that’s pretty poor.”

Mrs May, who visited Scotland to speak to Ms Sturgeon shortly after becoming Prime Minister, is to offer the devolved administrations a “direct line” to the Brexit Secretary but was expected to rebuff their calls for a series of votes to ensure an agreed approach across the UK on quitting the EU.

As more states including Luxembourg sought to poach banking jobs in the wake of the June 23 Brexit vote, City “superwoman” Nicola Horlick warned that leaving the single market altogether, and losing “passporting” rights, would be “disastrous” for financial services and the British economy.

The financier and mother-of-six told BBC radio’s Westminster Hour: “I’m not saying everyone will leave Britain, they will leave a large swathe of people, but they will be the less well-paid ones and we won’t have as much revenue being generated in London.” Mrs May is today hosting the first meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council since 2014, with Ms Sturgeon, Welsh counterpart Carwyn Jones and Northern Ireland’s leader Arlene Foster and her deputy Martin McGuinness.

Ahead of the talks, she said: “The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.

“The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the UK.”

If the devolved governments agree, a new sub-committee of the JMC chaired by Mr Davis would hold its first meeting by the end of November and at least one more by Christmas as negotiations progress before Article 50 is triggered by the end of March next year.

But Ms Sturgeon and Mr Jones have called for the UK Parliament and the three devolved legislatures to be given their own votes on the negotiating position the Government intends to take and said Article 50 should not be triggered until there is an agreed approach.

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers played down claims that leaving the EU could lead to a constitutional crisis.

The Brexit campaigner ruled out talks between the EU and regional governments over future relations, saying the EU would only engage with the UK government — as is convention.

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