Blow dealt to Scotland’s hopes of separate EU talks

Spain and France have dealt a major blow to Scottish hopes of staying in the EU as the rest of Britain leaves, insisting that Brussels must negotiate only with the UK government.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy told reporters at the European Council summit in the Belgian capital: "If the United Kingdom leaves, so does Scotland. Scotland has no competences to negotiate with the EU. The Spanish government rejects any negotiation with anyone other than the United Kingdom."

French president Francois Hollande agreed, saying: "The negotiations will be conducted with the United Kingdom, not with a part of the United Kingdom."

Their interventions could dash any move to secure a separate deal for continued Scottish membership before the UK completes its two-year withdrawal process, as any such arrangement would depend on unanimous support from member states.

That would leave Edinburgh with the less appetising prospect of applying to join as a new member following the UK's departure - and probably being required to join the euro and erect a "hard" border with England as part of the deal.

The setback came as Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited Brussels on a mission to inform key EU figures of Scotland's position following last week's referendum.

Her visit comes after MSPs voted to give her a “mandate” to hold discussions with EU institutions as well as the UK government and other devolved nations.

Ms Sturgeon has said that “everything must be on the table to protect Scotland’s place in Europe” after the UK voted to leave the EU while a large majority of Scots voted to stay.

Right to be heard

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who is meeting Ms Sturgeon, said Scotland had "won a right to be heard" in Brussels.

But he poured cold water on Scottish hopes of negotiating a separate status, saying that neither he nor European Council president Donald Tusk would interfere in internal British politics.

“I will listen carefully to what the First Minister will tell me, but we don’t have the intention - neither Donald nor myself - to interfere in the British process,” said the commission president. “That is not our duty and not our job.”

Following talks with European Parliament president Martin Schulz, Ms Sturgeon made clear that plans for Scotland's future relations with the EU remain embryonic.

"We are at a very early stage of this process. I've set out very clearly Scotland's desire to protect our relationship with the European Union, " she said.

“I don’t underestimate the challenges that lie ahead for us in seeking to find a path and this is very much an initial meeting and series of meetings in Brussels today so that people understand that Scotland, unlike other parts of the UK, doesn’t want to leave the EU.”

The First Minister's diplomatic mission came as the European Council summit continued in the absence of David Cameron, who left after a single day in order to allow the remaining 27 states to discuss the political and practical implications of the referendum results among themselves.

In the House of Commons in London, the PM brushed off a demand from the SNP's leader in Westminster, Angus Robertson, to assist Scotland in its efforts to remain a part of the EU.

Mr Cameron said that “the membership of the UK is a UK membership and that’s where we should take our negotiating stance”.

It was in Scotland’s best interest, as well as the interest of the UK as a whole, to negotiate “the closest possible relationship” with the remaining EU following withdrawal, he said.