Scottish government holds Brussels talks

Two Scottish government ministers have travelled to Brussels for discussions with MEPs on Scotland's place in Europe following the Brexit vote.

External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop was at the talks by the new Brexit secretary Michael Russell.

The pair also held a briefing session in the Belgian capital.

Mr Russell - who was in Brussels for the first time since his appointment - was also to host a discussion with more than 130 audience members.

The Scottish government said the audience included "Scots working and living in Brussels, stakeholders from member states and further afield, representatives from the EU institutions, and Brussels-based media."

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There were due to be representatives from EU members Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia as well as the US, New Zealand, the Faroe Islands, Channel Islands and Japan.

Separately, the SNP - which forms the Scottish government - led a debate at Westminster on the status of EU nationals in the UK following the vote to leave the European Union.

The opposition day debate was led by SNP MP Joanna Cherry, who accused the UK government of using EU nationals as a "bargaining chip" in Brexit negotiations.

But Home Office Minister Robert Goodwill claimed that Nicola Sturgeon suggested in 2014 that the 160,000 EU citizens living in Scotland would "lose their right to stay here" if the country was outside Europe.

Mr Goodwill's comment sparked an angry reaction from the SNP benches, with Ms Cherry insisting her party's long-standing policy has been to ensure equal rights for all living in Scotland.

Fiona Hyslop and Michael Russell were both in the Belgian capital on Wednesday

Speaking ahead of the Brussels visit, Mr Russell said: "A key objective from these talks will be to work with others across the political divide to avert a hard Brexit for Scotland - there is simply no UK mandate for that.

"I will also raise the first minister's commitment to publish proposals that would allow Scotland to stay in the single market and to preserve aspects of our relationship with the EU even if the rest of the UK is intending to leave."

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she will publish proposals in the coming weeks aimed at allowing Scotland to retain access to the European single market after Brexit.

'New role'

But she has said the prospect of a so-called "hard Brexit" would make it highly likely that a second independence referendum would be held if it was deemed "necessary to protect our country's interests".

Ms Sturgeon has also said an Independence Referendum Bill will be published for consultation this week.

Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted that she wants to engage with the Scottish government on the Brexit issues "that particularly matter to Scotland".

And she has predicted Brexit will "enhance" Scotland's standing in the world rather than diminish it as it offered an "exciting chance to forge a new role in the world".

But she has also said Scotland will not be able to remain in the EU when the rest of the UK leaves, and that she was firmly against the prospect of a second Scottish independence referendum.