‘They’re MAKING IT UP!’ Sturgeon's Brexit minister HUMILIATED over 'false' Brexit claims
NICOLA Sturgeon’s Brexit minister has been accused of fudging the facts after claiming five million Scottish citizens want to remain in Europe and discussions are already underway for special arrangements to be made between Scotland and member states.
Mike Russell said five million Scottish people “do not want to give up their European citizenship” and said Spain were receptive to a deal.
When asked to clarify whether discussions were underway with Spain over an arrangement which would see Scotland remain in the EU even if the rest of the UK leaves, he said: “We would not be talking in these terms unless we were having conversations.”
As well as this, he claimed only four MSPs had voted for Brexit – an assertion which has already been proven to be false.
The minister's statements have been blasted as purposefully inaccurate, with the Tories claiming he was creating a “completely false picture” of the situation.
Scottish Conservative MEP Ian Duncan said: “It's no surprise that the Spanish government has confirmed that no contact has been made. In an effort to impress EU officials in Brussels, Mr Russell appears to have simply made stuff up.”
The Spanish government rejected Mr Russell’s claim that discussions were underway, claiming “the EU has decided not to start any negotiation before notification under Article 50”.
Mr Duncan continued: “We know that SNP MSP Alex Neil supported Brexit and that as many as six other SNP MSPs did likewise. Yet Mr Russell has gone to Brussels and tried to paint a completely false picture. As is typical of the SNP, when they think they can get away with telling complete untruths, they will always do so.”
As well as this, only 1.7 million Scottish voters chose Remain in last summer’s EU referendum - not the five million Mr Russell alleged.
A spokesman for Mr Russell said: “This is a ludicrous attack from the Tories – for them to ask anyone else to clarify their plans for Brexit is like a burglar demanding a homeowner clean up the house he has just ransacked.
“This event was open to the public and the media as well as being filmed, and anyone who takes the time to listen to the recording would hear a discussion which was overwhelmingly positive about Scotland - and universally critical of the Tory Government’s shambolic approach to Brexit.”
More than 60 per cent of Scottish voters chose Remain on June 23, in contrast to the UK’s overall 52 per cent Leave victory.
However, Ms Sturgeon’s desperate attempts to secure a special deal for Scotland has so far been ignored by other EU states, who insist they will only negotiate with the UK as a whole.