SCOTTISH Tory MPs have told the UK Government they will not back any move that gives Scotland a formal role in post-Brexit trade negotiations.
According to a report in the Scotsman, the group are "wary" of any suggestion that Holyrood could play a part in trade talks with third countries after the UK has left the EU.
There had originally been speculation that May would offer Nicola Sturgeon a space in negotiations in exchange for helping push the Prime Minister's divisive plan through the House of Commons.
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The Scottish Secretary David Mundell backed Holyrood's involvement in trade talks too, saying there was “no reason why that shouldn’t happen”, adding it was “what business and industry bodies want”.
However, a Scottish Tory source told The Scotsman that Sturgeon should not be trusted to sell anything other Scotland.
The said: “The idea of Nicola Sturgeon joining Theresa May on international trade missions isn’t new, it’s been around for some time.
“The Scottish Government will not be negotiating trade deals. That’s the job of the UK government.
“What has to be clear is that Nicola Sturgeon would be taking part purely to sell Scotland and nothing more – if they’re there at all. The Scottish Tories would be very wary about supporting anything that went beyond that.”
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Responding to the statement on Twitter, Nicola Sturgeon slammed the Scottish Conservatives for trying to "reinvent" themselves as a pro-devolution party, while acting to restrict influence.
She said "For much of last 20 years, Scottish Tories have tried to reinvent themselves as pro devolution. This story is latest reminder that it’s actually an inflexible unionism that drives them. In what other country would elected MPs argue against greater influence over key decisions?"
This follows news that the UK Government has cancelled talks with senior politicians from Scotland and Wales over Brexit.
Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish Government’s External Affairs Secretary, said that the move to cancel “flies in the face of the Prime Minister’s rhetoric” after Theresa May had promised an “enhanced role” for the devolved governments in Brexit negotiations.
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