Nicola Sturgeon to forge stronger links with Ireland during Dublin visit

NICOLA STURGEON will declare Scotland “open for business” despite Brexit when she attempts to forge stronger links with Ireland tomorrow.

The First Minister is expected to stress the two countries’ “business, academic, cultural and political” ties when she addresses business leaders in a Dublin charm offensive.

As part of her drive to keep Scotland in the single market, she will meet with 120 CEOs and highlight how Ireland, as an EU member state, can be “a key economic partner” to Scotland in a post-Brexit world.

The move comes after a meeting of the British Irish Council on Friday when the SNP leader warned pulling out of the trading bloc “risks us falling off a hard-Brexit cliff edge”.

At the Dublin HQ of energy giant SSE, Ms Sturgeon will say Scottish exports to Ireland are worth £1.125bn and Scottish investment supports 6000 Irish jobs, before adding: “It’s important to get across to our European partners, such as Ireland, that Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU and that we are doing everything we can to protect our relationship with Europe.

“I want companies in Ireland to know that Scotland remains open for business and will continue to be an attractive place to invest.”

She will also say: “Ireland has always been and will continue to be a key economic partner for Scotland. It is even more important than ever that our two countries work together for the benefit of both our nations.”

The meeting of the British Irish Council in Cardiff also laid bare divisions between UK leaders.

Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones agreed with Ms Sturgeon that retaining membership of the single market was the “least worst option”, but doubted whether Scotland or Wales could secure a separate deal.

“I don’t see how there can be separate market access arrangements for the different nations within the UK that share the same land mass,” he said.

Theresa May, meanwhile, came in for strong criticism for failing to attend the meeting. Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said: “She is a new British Prime Minister, this was her first opportunity to attend the meeting of the British Irish Council and to meet with the devolved institutions and the Crown dependencies and I think it was a missed opportunity on her behalf.”

Ms Sturgeon echoed his words, saying: “I agree strongly with that.”

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny also told reporters a deal between the UK and EU in the two years after Article 50 was triggered would be “impossible” and an interim trading deal was likely.

Mr Kenny said: “I think it will be impossible to do the negotiations within the contemplated two-year period. That’s why there’s a growing feeling in Europe that there should be a transition period, and that the transition period will be longer than those two years.”

Meanwhile, in a written submission to the Supreme Court, Scotland’s Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC argued that Mrs May could not trigger the formal process of leaving the EU without Holyrood’s consent.