NICOLA STURGEON has been urged to write an open letter to the people of Japan underlining that Scotland is committed to staying in Europe and is open for inward investment.
Ross Greer, a Scottish Green Party MSP, put the request to the First Minister after the Asian country delivered a stark warning to Theresa May that it may pull its businesses out of the UK if she does not keep it in the single market.
The Scottish Green MSP called on Sturgeon to write an open reply after the Prime Minister had failed to do so.
“In the absence of leadership from the UK Government in shielding Scotland from the economic impact of voting to leave the European Union, I urge you to respond directly to the open letter from Japan,” he said in his letter to the First Minister.
“I’d ask you to outline how Scotland is committed to retaining and enhancing its links with Europe and the rest of the world and that our country remains an excellent destination for investment.”
Greer added: “Our post-Brexit landscape is clearly a mess not of Scotland’s making and the Scottish Green MSPs will continue to offer assistance to the Scottish Government in ensuring Scotland maintains and enhances its links with Europe and the rest of the world.
“I will be writing to businesses in my West Scotland region that regularly trade with Japan to make them fully aware of what I’m doing to retain Scotland’s place in Europe.”
At the start of the G20 summit in China at the beginning of the week, the Japanese government published a list of demands in an open letter to the UK aimed at protecting the trading position of its car manufacturers and financial institutions based in the UK.
The document pointed out how many Japanese businesses had been invited by the UK Government to invest in Britain as a “gateway to Europe” and urged May to “consider this fact seriously and respond in a responsible manner to minimise any harmful effects on these businesses”.
The report also warned head offices of Japanese firms in the UK could be shifted to the Continent if EU regulations no longer applied after Brexit.
Key among the requests made by Japanese firms was maintaining “access to workers” who were nationals of the UK, effectively keeping free movement of people and access to the single market as part of the Brexit deal.
Tokyo also called for the maintenance of current tariff rates and customs procedures and for the UK to keep the existing rules relating to financial services, including the “single passport” regime that allows firms in one member state to operate in another without seeking further authorisation.
Car manufacturers including Honda, Nissan and Toyota all have major manufacturing bases in the UK, employing thousands of workers, and the report warned Brexit could hit them hard by imposing extra levies.
Reacting to the letter earlier this week, a Number 10 official said Japan’s statement was “not helpful”.
Last night, a Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The analysis of Brexit from the Japanese government is a clear warning of the threat to jobs, investment and long-term prosperity posed by withdrawal from the EU.
“That is why we are exploring all options to protect Scotland’s place in Europe, and why the ongoing lack of clarity from the UK government on continued single market membership is potentially so damaging.”
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