London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 17, 2025

International report - Despite Brexit, Scotland insists on the right to remain part of Europe

International report - Despite Brexit, Scotland insists on the right to remain part of Europe

Brexit is now a reality: since the start of this year, the United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union. In Scotland, which voted against leaving the EU in 2016, there are intense debates about when and how the Scots can re-join the continental bloc. However, Scotland could only do that by becoming an independent country, a prospect that could be closer than we think.

Scotland isn’t there yet.

The UK government has so far refused the holding of another independence referendum, seven years after the last one, even if the ruling Scottish National Party wins a majority in the May 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

Without independence, and despite Brexit, the links Scotland shares with Europe will not necessarily vanish. In fact, the country is making it abundantly clear that it doesn’t intend to stray away from Europe anytime soon, by passing legislation like the EU Continuity Bill.


“There are lots of ways in which we can have influence, but it’s more challenging because we are not an independent country,” Jenny Gilruth, Scotland’s Minister for Europe and International Development, explains.

“But what we can do certainly is reach out to our European friends and neighbours. The Continuity Bill is a hugely important piece of legislation because what it does is it aligns us with key, high European standards, for example, with regards to the environment. We want to keep aligned with those standards because fundamentally, we want to come back in the EU.”

Does Scotland need international diplomacy?


Some opposition parties have questioned whether diplomacy and international relations are really something that Scotland should worry about, arguing that foreign affairs are a matter that is reserved to the UK government.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has, nonetheless, undertaken a series of visits abroad to promote bilateral relations with Scotland. It really shouldn’t be so controversial, according to political scientist and analyst Anthony Salamone, who founded the think tank European Merchants.

“The independence debate makes it difficult, but I think it’s perfectly reasonable for Scotland to have substantial relations with all levels of the EU institutions, of the national governments of member states, and of subnational governments of member states.

“I really wish that we had a political culture that recognised that that is normal and that, indeed, the only way for the Scottish Government to effectively manage its devolved competences is to engage with others at European level.”


Because of the Brexit saga, European partners may show a greater willingness to work directly with Scotland, since differences of attitudes towards Europe have appeared clearer than even.

“There’s a big difference now between Scotland and the UK, which many people in Scotland may say was always there, but it was not obvious to people outside of the UK, which is that Scotland is a pro-European place,” Salamone says.

“Scotland knows why it makes sense to work together in the European Union and the people of Scotland have clearly demonstrated that. Not just in the referendum, but in subsequent elections and opinion polls. And it’s such a contrast with the UK Government: the way in which Brexit has happened, the chaotic and insulting way, the inflammatory rhetoric and so on, which has come from the UK Government throughout the Brexit process.”

The Scottish Government had created offshore hubs over the past few years in all over the world, precisely to fulfil this role of promoting Scotland’s interests overseas and strengthening direct relationships with countries.

“These offices support our activities in those key locations, but they’re hugely important to us as well because they give us a network in these countries and areas to allow us to get our message out there,” Europe Minister Jenny Gilruth says. “We see them as a key part of saying something about our values to the world.”


Crucially, these hubs are not inventing those links out of thin air: they are mostly building on relations that already exist between universities, businesses and various organisations, and aiming to help them overcome barriers to thrive.

Perhaps more importantly, these links are about people too, and the respect and friendship that bind them.

Brexit and the end of the transition period will not change that for Scotland.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
×