From the Financial Tribune
Scotland’s Brexit minister believes there is a “pretty strong” chance Britain will leave the European Union with no deal, but that the UK government could collapse before then.
Michael Russell said the devolved pro-independence Scottish administration is trying to prepare for Brexit, despite Scots having voted against it, but possible outcomes are “legion”, Reuters reported.
“I think the chances (Brexit) happens without an agreement are still pretty strong, that there will a crashing out,” Russell, who is heading Scottish Brexit talks with the UK government, told Reuters.
“It is also distinctly possible (…) that the government will fall and there will be another election or another government will come in,” he added.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is running a minority Conservative government, kept in power by a Northern Irish Protestant party.
Russel said it was unclear what any new government might do.
“Will it start negotiations afresh, what will be its mandate, what will it be negotiating for?” Russell said, describing his frustration with the process and its uncertainty.
Britain’s vote to leave the EU has divided the main parties over what new relationship it wants with the trading bloc after 40 years of shared ties.
It has also strained the ties of the UK’s four nations, because Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to keep EU membership while Wales and most-populous England voted to leave.
On key issues, such as the set-up of powers devolved beyond London’s parliament after Brexit and the need for fluid EU immigration, Edinburgh’s Scottish nationalist administration is at loggerheads with the Conservative UK government in London.
On September 27, Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn told Prime Minister Theresa May to step aside and make way for the Labour party to lead Britain’s Brexit talks, saying his leftist ideas were now the “political mainstream”.
Labour is closing the gap in opinion polls to stand roughly level with the Conservatives, putting it within sight of winning an election.
