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New British PM visits Scotland for talks on union, Brexit

Xinhua, July 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

New British Prime Minister Theresa May visited Scotland on Friday for talks with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon here on the union of Britain and the future of the European Union (EU).

Making her first visit less than 48 hours after taking office, May aims to emphasize her strong personal support for the union in talks with Sturgeon.

May will also affirm the British government's commitment to fully engage with the Scottish government in the forthcoming negotiations about Britain's exit from the EU, said a press release from the prime minister's office at 10 Downing Street.

May was expected to highlight "the precious bond" between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and her commitment to "preserving this special union that has endured for centuries," as well as her government's support to the people of Scotland in making decisions and policies.

Earlier, Sturgeon said she wanted to discuss options to protect Scottish interests in areas including trade, university research, the rights of workers, and influence on global policy such as climate change.

On Thursday, new British Chancellor Philip Hammond dismissed the prospect of the Scottish government seeking a separate deal on relations with the EU after the Brexit vote in which the majority in Scotland chose to remain.

British Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell described the idea of Scotland remaining within Britain at the same time as remaining in the EU as "fanciful", expressing that both Sturgeon and May would have a "constructive" relationship and their collective aim would be to get the best deal for Scotland and Britain in the EU negotiations.

In a historic referendum on June 23, Britain voted to leave the EU after 43 years in the bloc. The Leave campaign received 51.9 percent of the votes, against 48.1 percent for the Remain side.

However, Scotland voted 62 percent in favor of remaining in the EU, with the majority in each council of its 32 local authority areas voting to remain. Endit