29/03/2017 Reporting Scotland

European Union after 44 years of membership. That's all from the BBC

Good evening from Westminster, a special edition of the programme. We

will be looking at what the triggering of Article 50 means for

Scotland. We will strengthen the union of the four nations that

comprise our united Kingdom. If she denies Scotland a choice, she will

make Scottish independence inevitable. We will look at the

impact of leaving the single market on the economy. We will be in

Brussels to find out what EU politicians think about the

relationship with Europe. More delays to the new Queensbury

Crossing, could be August before it's open to traffic.

The process that will change the United Kingdom's place

The world's media has gathered here at Westminster to digest

Over there at the Commons the Prime Minister insisted

she wanted to agree a deep and special partnership with Europe.

But in response the SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson

called again for a vote on independence to give

In a moment we will be speaking to the UK Government

But first our political correspondent Nick Eardley reports

Another day of history in Westminster. They've hardly been in

short supply. But today's events will change the United Kingdom,

starting one of the most complex negotiations Whitehall has ever

seen, altering our relationship with Europe fundamentally. Will Brexit be

good for Scotland? He think so but his opponents disagree passionately.

The Prime Minister's statement delivered to coincide with the

formal divorce letter arriving in Brussels. Statement, the Prime

Minister. A message of unity and a pledge of more powers for Holyrood.

It is the expectation of the government that the devolved

administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will see a

significant increase in their decision-making power as a result of

this process. When I sit around the negotiating table in the months

ahead I will represent every person in the United Kingdom, young and

old, rich and poor, city, town and country and all the villages and

hamlets in between. The SNP said UK wide agreement hadn't been

delivered. The Prime Minister promised an agreement. There is no

agreement. She has broken her word. If she remains intransigent and if

she denies Scotland a choice on our future, she will make Scottish

independence inevitable. And here it is, the letter that was livid to

President Tusk earlier today. It said that the talks should be

constructive and respectful. It admits the task ahead is momentous

but says it should be within the grasp of the UK and EU to find a

deal two years. Is the message from the UK Government one of optimism?

The tone of the letter is very positive. We want to form a new

relationship with the EU. We are confirming that we will be European

but not part of the EU. We are looking to take these negotiations

forward in a constructive fashion, get a deal that works for Scotland

and the whole of the UK. Some disagree and think today is a bad

one that will make Scotland worse off. A sad day for Scotland and for

the rest of the UK and for Europe as well. For a long, long time we've

become wealthier, healthier, fairer and safer as a result of our

partnership with the European Union. Obviously bad news, not just for

Scotland but for businesses and people's jobs across the length and

breadth of the United Kingdom. There is no stopping this, we cannot get

off this bus, so we need to engage with the process and make sure the

priorities we want are included in negotiations and make sure we hold

this government to account every step of the way. The Brexit process

has begun. Where it takes the UK and where it takes Scotland, those

questions will be answered in coming years.

Our Westminster correspondent David Porter joins me.

David, the Prime Minister insisting that this would be a deal

for all the devolved nations but that wasn't enough for the SNP.

They feel Scotland was not treated as an equal partner? That's right,

in essence this goes to the heart of the disagreement between the ardent

Unionist Theresa May and the nationalist. In our mammoth

statement to MPs this afternoon she said she would negotiate on behalf

of all of the UK but she made it plain there would be no separate

special deals for Scotland. She says more powers can come to Holyrood but

she did not spell them out and the Nationalists want more information.

They feel that to some extent the deal they thought they had for an

agreement that things would be decided before Article 50 was

triggered, they feel the Prime Minister has reneged on that. The

anger we saw in the House of Commons today, I don't think it was

synthetic. I think it was real anger. To some extent what we are

seeing when you add this to the simmering row, the escalating row

that is on Scottish independence, you see just how difficult the

relations are now potentially between the Scottish Government and

relations are now potentially the UK Government. And unless things

improve, just how difficult things could be throughout the whole Brexit

process. The First Minister has warned that

Brexit is a dangerous And Scottish Ministers say

the Article 50 timetable makes the case for an independence

referendum even more compelling. The call came as the UK Government

turned down proposals But Conservatives insist

a referendum would be This from our political

editor Brian Taylor. Nicola Sturgeon says she wishes the

Prime Minister well in her efforts to secure the best possible Brexit

deal. But visiting eight Iosco company creating 300 jobs through

European links, she warns Brexit will be damaging. No doubt that what

is happening today does represent something of a leap in the dark.

Albeit Article 50 has been triggered today, the Prime Minister still

can't answer basic questions about today, the Prime Minister still

what Brexit will mean for businesses, for the economy

generally. The First Minister had urged a distinctive deal involving

Scottish access to the European single market. Eva Davis, the

European exit says that is unworkable. He stresses shared

ground and shared goals for the talks. Scotland will be a strong

voice standing up for Scottish interests. At the end of the process

clearly delineated in the letter, will be required to make a choice.

We can put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands all we can be

dragged along with hard Brexit. The people of Scotland deserve that

choice. The Conservatives say they won't even contemplate an

independence referendum until Brexit is not just signed off but settled

down. Now it's not the time to be putting a second independence

referendum deal on the table. What about 2021? Now is not the time to

be talking about a second independence referendum. Cosier

Dugdale in Wales today discussing feminism says a plague on both

houses. People don't want to be forced to choose between two extreme

nationalism is. I've seen it for years. More and more fierce. A play

about Brexit takes to the stage in a Lascuna. The political drama has now

opened And the SNP's leader

here at Westminster, You spoke with passion today

in the Commons about your opposition to Brexit and that if Scotland's

views were ignored it would make The first thing is obviously it has

been a really big day and a Rubicon has been crossed. The point I was

trying to make to the Prime Minister is that the Scottish Government and

MPs work in good faith to find an agreement, not a compromise. The

MPs work in good faith to find an Prime Minister said she wanted an

agreement before triggering Article 50 and there is no agreement. It

seems to us and will seem too many viewers in Scotland that if the

Prime Minister is prepared to rate her word on that, how should we take

the rest of the promises about what is heading in our direction as a

result of Brexit which I fear will be damaging to our economy, our

links with the rest of Europe. Those promises include more power for the

Scottish parliament, what's not to like? But what does that mean? At

the moment it just sounds like rhetoric. If the Prime Minister were

serious, she would have delivered on the promise she made last July. She

promised a UK wide approach, an agreement with the government of

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is no agreement. If

the Prime Minister wants a respectful arrangement with the

different regions of the UK, if you are going to make such a promise,

you deliver, and if not people are right to question if the rest of it

is a serious opposition or not. I fear this rhetoric about more powers

coming back has already Dean Kiely did by what I believe is likely to

happen which is that all these powers are not coming back. I don't

think fisheries will come back to Scotland, I don't take powers on

agriculture will come back to Scotland, I think they will reserve

powers here to Westminster and Scotland will have to continue to

play second fiddle over far too many areas. Ayew asking voters in

Scotland to choose between the UK and EU, effectively isn't that what

it is? The first instance is a democratic point, should the people

of Scotland have a choice? To which my answer is absolutely. The reason

why this is so important, after 18 months we will see decisions made

here, in the House of Commons and House Lords, the European Parliament

and 27 other European countries, they are all going to have a choice

about our country's future. It seems regardless of whether you voted

remain or leave, on such a big issue when there are going to be two

potential outcomes we can choose, I think people should have the choice.

As Democrats we should all sign up to that and I think we should be

united that given this is such a big thing which is going to impact on

our country so much we should trust the voters on this. Very briefly,

Nicola Sturgeon's letter is still to be delivered to the Prime Minister,

you say it will contain options, can you explain? I will leave that to my

colleagues in the Scottish Government.

Leaving the European Union is a political decision.

Here's our business and economy editor, Douglas Fraser.

It's hard to think of any decision that will affect everyone in the

country the way that this one will. So far it's been mainly political

but the impact will be mainly economic. This is about the movement

of goods across borders, of services often down fibre-optic cables, and

the movement of workers, of consumers. It's about people. This

is one of those affected, his French and exports shellfish from Glasgow

to France, Spain and Italy. There is a threat he could lose the right to

live here. I feel unwelcome. I think I will have to go back to France.

Half of my team come from Eastern Europe. They are happy, stable,

working hard. They are happy to stay here. But now we will see what

happened with the Brexit. At the moment nobody knows. Exports are

helped by the weakened pound though inflation has hit packaging and

helped by the weakened pound though other costs. Fellow French fishermen

could lose access to British waters. I think we cause trouble, the French

are very well-known for that. Any problems, they do the blockage. And

if I can't export tomorrow it will be a serious problem for us. Deep

sea fishing was one business sector pleased to see Theresa May's letter

delivered. She has the support of the fishing industry behind her. By

God if she deviates from that she'll be hearing from us. It's a great day

for the industry and we look forward to an amicable Brexit. Other sectors

have other issues. The boss of publisher HarperCollins says he is

already losing European stuff. Glasgow University wanted to attract

two American recruits but they pulled out because they would not be

linked into academic networks. There are plans to double container

traffic within five years for this group. This economic expert and lead

adviser to the Scottish Government on Brexit says distinctive Scottish

concern is about continuing recent success in attracting young

migrants. These have changed the demographic of Scotland, what skills

and really boosted and reversed the decline in Scottish topography. And

that is key. The British government may have to, mice, he says, a lot,

it if it is to avoid the cliff edge. There is a chance of there not being

a deal, it is a challenging thing to negotiate a deal. If we are on a

cliff edge that could be economic to catastrophic. The consensus amongst

economists is that the outlook does not look good. At the businesses,

they are always looking for opportunities wherever they arise.

I'm joined now by the Scottish Secretary, David Mundell.

How do we know that Brexit won't damage the union

If Brexit is a fatal to the union, Theresa May saw the dangers. I don't

think it is going to be fatal to the United Kingdom. She said it would

be. I think we will deliver on the basis of the letter triggering

Article 50, the Prime Minister's White Paper and we will deliver a

good deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK, and that is the basis on

which the people of Scotland will judge Brexit. The letter today shows

we will take a positive and constructive approach, and we

recognise we are leaving the EU but not to Europe, we will work to get

access to the single market so that Scottish businesses and the economy

can prosper, and we will take advantage of all the other

opportunities that can come with Brexit. How helpful is it to this

partnership of equals that the Westminster government didn't

respond to the Scottish government's proposals for Brexit until after it

was triggered? We have been in a very active dialogue... You didn't

respond until late afternoon! We have been active in a dialogue with

the Scottish government. All the things set out in the letter are

things that have been discussed before, discussed in official

meetings, ministerial meeting so there was nothing that was a

surprise in our response. What we are saying today there are so many

areas in which we are an agreement, and if we don't agree the means, we

agree the end. It would be... We don't think Scotland needs a

separate agreement. If we can get a very good deal for the UK, that

would be a very good deal for Scotland. You said now isn't the

time for another independence referendum. When? I think having an

independence referendum during the Brexit process would be unfair on

Scotland, so we have to seek our way through the journey and

negotiations, through the implementation, I believe, NFP about

transition... Is in it disrespectful to be so an -- ambiguous? I think it

would be disrespectful for us to give a date. We don't have a crystal

ball, we don't know when the Brexit journey will be complete. What we do

know is if people are going to be asked again about the constitutional

future on the basis of Brexit, they have to know what the Brexit deal

is, how it is affecting them, how the relationship of the UK and the

rest of the EU is going to work and it would be disrespectful to ask

them to choose if they don't know that. Thank you very much for your

time this evening. Formal negotiations with Brussels

aren't expected to begin So what do EU politicians

and officials think about Scotland's Our political correspondent,

Glenn Campbell is in Glenn, what's been

the response there? It's just a few hours since the UK's

exit letter was handed in at the European Council. For now, the

enormity of that is more than enough for the EU to chew on but among

politicians and the wider public here there is awareness of the

renewed debate over Scottish independence.

There is no guide to the EU's capital city expert enough to say

what Brexit will bring. I suppose it will not be a good thing and I hope

the Scottish leave the United Kingdom, then they cameramen with

us. You think so? I hope so. Because a majority in Scotland voted

running, the First Minister wanted to keep us if not the whole of the

UK inside the European single market in a Norway style arrangement but

Norway's Minister for the single market, that is membership of the

EA, isn't sure such a special deal would have been possible. I find it

difficult to see a model where Scotland would be part of the UK and

part of the EEA. What if Scotland votes for independence? Be welcomed

into Norway style membership of the European single market? That is the

same answer. We would be open-minded. Cooperation between

countries in Europe is important. Scottish ministers will be pleased

to hear the open-minded this is because they are coming to think

about a Norway style deal as a staging post a full EU and Bishop if

Scotland votes for independence after the UK has left the European

Union. Theresa May wants Brexit to bed in before any fresh vote on

independence but Nicola Sturgeon thinks we will know enough in 18

months to two years. Do not's man in Brussels thinks any shape of Brexit

deal should be clearer by then. I hope and think we will be able to

manage to get a compromise, a deal that would cover both the divorce

Bill and also the future relationship. Nicola Sturgeon is but

lots of effort into explaining her position on Brexit to European

leaders. There is understanding here but most senior figures are

reluctant to be drawn into our debate. As far as Scotland is

concerned, all those who voted to stay feel they are unhappy and feel

their considerations were not taken into account. It will be up to the

people of Scotland to decide what they want now, to organise their

future life. Back in Brussels main square, a visiting leader who has

decided his country should eventually joined the EU. To get

closer and closer to our family, where we feel we belong. Do you

think it is funny Georgia is trying to get in when the UK is coming out?

I might think that it is funny but there is nothing funny in that. It

is a decision of the United Kingdom which we need to respect. Different

countries, different choices. Nicola Sturgeon is determined

Scotland should have another chance to choose to make its own

relationship with the European Union. Theresa May seems equally

determined Scotland should wait to see what extra power Brexit brings

home from Brussels to Holyrood before deciding if we want to choose

between a more independent UK and an independent Scotland.

And there's a news special on the triggering of Brexit

Andrew Neil will be interviewing the prime ministers about her intentions

for the Brexit negotiations to come and be talking to the Scottish

government's Brexit minister where this leaves the next independence

referendum and I'll be talking to Scottish Labour, the Lib Dems and

the Greens. That is at 7pm, immediately after this programme.

The opening of the new Queensferry Crossing has been delayed again.

It's being blamed on bad weather affecting the construction work.

The bridge won't now be open to traffic until July or August.

Weather is blamed for the delay. The Scottish garment flagship's project

was meant to open last September now it will be July or August. We are

frustrated by this but what is important is we have an iconic

structure, which we can't see today, but we have to have it completed

safely and his standard. The contractor faces fines for these

delays. We took the effect on whether into account and added

additional factors onto it, some percentages but what we've actually

found, especially in the last two or three months, the weather has been

far greater than we expected. The Scottish government stresses there

won't be more cost to the purse. In fact it says this six-year project

will come in at a quarter of ?1 billion below budget. Opposition

politicians are critical, they wonder if the timetables were ever

realistic. Why wasn't the Scottish Parliament told earlier there was

going to be another delay? Wended Keith Brown know about this

situation? And was the date regarded by the Scottish government to bury

bad news because all the attention is elsewhere? A couple of lorries

caused closures this winter but now drivers will be hoping there is no

further disruption to either crossing. It is a grey day in

Westminster, let's get the weather now. There was some sunshine around

especially in the north-west. Contrast this with the East Coast,

it is quite murky in St Andrews. Cloudy and dump for all of us but

reasonably mild. Outbreaks of rain moving northwards in the next few

hours, quite messy progress edging northwards, eventually reaching

Shetland by midnight, and as we head through the early hours, that rain

fading away. There will be some mist and Merck around but fairly mild

with temperatures in towns and cities 9-8. Tomorrow gets off to a

reasonably dry at cloudy start with the odd spot of drizzle. Like today,

the rain arouse from the South. North of any higher ground, some

morning sunshine at clouding over as this rain arrives. By mid-afternoon,

the rain starting to peter out so, reasonably dry. The exact timing of

that clearing is open to doubt but we hope many areas should improve

and should be brighter than what we are seeing here. In the sunshine,

temperatures into the teens but all of us in the mild temperatures. And

some brightness coming through, particularly across the far north.

Into the evening, some outbreaks of rain in the south edging northwards,

and that unsettled theme continues towards Friday, with more wet

weather edging northwards from the south. For Friday, a bit of an East-

West split, ad rates of rain in the West, the further east you are, the

brighter it is. The timing of this rain on Friday is uncertain but some

sunshine hopefully to follow. The beginning of April, April showers on

Saturday, some heavy. Sunday, generally drier and brighter but

fresher. That's the forecast. The clock has started on the process

that will see the UK leaving the European Union

but there is a long road ahead before it becomes clear

what the impact will be. There is also the prospect

of a second independence referendum. Well, to consider that I'm joined

by the BBC's political Laura, amid the massive task

of negotiating Brexit, does the Prime Minister

have a strategy to address I think there is a strategy. In the

big picture, it's almost hold your hand up and not now. She said it

publicly but never ruled out the possibility of it ever happening.

The second part of the strategy is we are in a situation where the UK

Government doesn't want to contemplate this vote any time soon,

that's as clear as day. Given the events of the last couple of weeks,

we will now see a more careful consideration, a more constant

checking in the discussions that happen, how would this policy or

discussion play in Holyrood? How would this particularly thorny

problem and fold if it were unfolding in Scotland? How would

people see things from a Scottish perspective? Everything that

happened in the last couple of weeks have put this issue is slap bang on

the table, which means that while the government's position hasn't

changed in terms of saying, let's go for it, you can have the vote, it

has moved the priorities of how things will sound in Scottish is and

look to Scottish eyes higher up the table than they were a few weeks

look to Scottish eyes higher up the ago. Thank you very much for joining

us. And that's the end of this

edition of Reporting Don't forget that special programme

on Brexit beginning after this. From all of us, to quote the EU

President Donald Tusk when he received the Prime Minister's

letter, thank you and goodbye.