Mike Russell heads to Downing Street for Brexit talks

The Scottish Government's new Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe travels to London today for talks with his UK counterpart David Davis.

Top of Mike Russell's agenda will be clarifying the role the Scottish Government will play in negotiations with European Union about the UK's exit.

Theresa May has previously said she wants a "UK approach" involving all the devolved nations before triggering Article 50, which would trigger the formal process of leaving the EU.

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Speaking after a debate on Europe in the parliament yesterday, Russell said: 

“A key element of our continued relationship with the EU must be to remain as a member of the EU single market. Today’s debate underlined the importance of that.

“Parliament has given the Scottish Government a mandate to explore all options to protect our relationship with the EU. For continued fairness and opportunity for Scotland’s workers, as well as for long-term prosperity for Scotland as a whole, we must not be dragged out of the single market by the hardline Brexiteers."

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said Russell was "capable at diplomacy" but warned him to respect the result of the referendum.

"The responsibility of politicians is clear. Whatever variable results across the UK there were, the result was to leave the European Union. That is what politicians are charged with delivering and what Europe and our allies, however regrettably, now accept and expect will happen," he said.

After a visit to Brussels in the summer the Scottish Parliament's European and External Relations Committee reported: “European partners would be open to a distinctive Scottish approach to maintaining our relationships in Europe, as long as that approach had been agreed with the UK Government first.”

However former First Minister Alex Salmond yesterday said Scotland should "block Brexit" if it can. 

Speaking on his London radio show, Salmond said: 

“If Scotland could block Brexit, then I think Nicola Sturgeon should do that. A politician should take her democratic instruction from her electorate… that’s exactly what a politician should do."