UK govt says Scottish Brexit proposal could disrupt trade: Letter

Edinburgh, April 28

The British government fears a different deal with the EUfor Scotland could disrupt trading between the United Kingdom’s four nations, a letter from Brexit minister David Davis published by the Scottish government said on Friday.

Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU at a June referendum, proposed a separate trade carve-out for itself in the Brexit talks and its first minister Nicola Sturgeon says the UK government has not taken the proposal seriously.

“There are clear barriers to making your proposals a reality. Scotland’s accession to the (European Free Trade Association) and then the (European Economic Area), would not be deliverable and, importantly, would require the consent of all EFTA and EU member states,” Davis said in a photocopy of the letter dated March 29 and published on the devolved Scottish government’s website.

“Any divergence between EU and UK law - as a result, perhaps, of new EU regulation - could lead to the creation of new barriers to trade within our Union,” Davis wrote, adding that this could create potential “significant disruption to the internal UK market.” — Reuters