LEAVING Erasmus after Brexit was “utterly unnecessary” but Scotland should not give up hope of rejoining the programme, Michael Russell has said.

Scotland’s Constitution Secretary said the devolved nations “were not told the truth” by the UK Government and believed it was trying to remain in the scheme “right up until virtually the end”.

But speaking to Holyrood’s Finance and Constitution Committee,  Russell said Scotland should continue attempts to rejoin the scheme following the “shocking” decision to leave it.

READ MORE: Erasmus: EU chief says Scotland cannot join scheme while part of the UK

He told MSPs that he and Welsh Government Brexit minister Jeremy Miles had urged the UK Government to remain in the exchange programme, or push for the devolved countries to be allowed to continue to be part of it.

However the UK Government concluded the programme was too expensive and withdrew from it, announcing an alternative called the Turing scheme named after the mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing.

A group of more than 140 MEPs wrote to the European Commission asking it to consider allowing Scotland and Wales to continue taking part in Erasmus.

The bid was rebuffed by commission president Ursula von der Leyen yesterday, when she said Holyrood and the Senedd could not diverge from the decision “made in London”.

The National:

During today's evidence session about Brexit’s impact on Scotland’s constitutional affairs, Russell said the decision was “factually correct” but added: “Let’s not give up.

“There may be all sorts of possibilities we can look at but it is a loss, it’s a substantial loss.

“I would want to continue to argue.

“We’ve got lots of friends in the European Parliament who are very, very keen that we continue to have some association.

“We can see Ireland is taking Northern Irish young people under its wing and they will be associated with the scheme through Irish institutions and organisations.

“We need to continue to think about what we can do.

READ MORE: Scottish and Welsh governments make joint Erasmus education statement

“But two things are shameful about it: it’s utterly unnecessary, we could have remained part of it, which is ridiculous; but also the manner by which it was done.

“The UK Government knew perfectly well the view of the devolved governments on this matter and we were not told the truth about it.

“We were never shown the value for money assessment was undertaken, and right up until virtually the end, we believe that the UK Government was intending to stay in or at least trying to stay in.

“It was shocking.”

The Turing scheme will provide funding for an estimated 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools to go on placements and exchanges overseas, starting this September, the UK Government says.

But Russell said: “The Turing scheme does not deal with youth work and with youth issues, which is a huge part of the Erasmus plus scheme and very, very important to Scotland.

“There’s a process now of telling people essentially what it’s going to be about, but there’s been no meaningful consultation about what it should be – even right down to naming it.

“This thing just appeared.

“Clearly work was being done on it and we were not being told about that work.

“It doesn’t give you huge confidence in it.”