Nicola Sturgeon says 'no good practical reason' Scotland can't have same Brexit concessions as Northern Ireland

With Britain and the European Union moving closer to an agreement on the Irish border, the SNP are questioning why Scotland can’t have the same Brexit concessions.

How to maintain a soft Irish border had emerged as the key sticking point to getting agreement from the EU to move on to phase two of negotiations.

Reports suggest the UK government had conceded there would be “continued regulatory alignment” on Ireland, suggesting Northern Ireland could stay in the customs union and the single market.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has jumped on the news, saying there was no good reason that Scotland could not do the same with the EU and “effectively stay in the single market“.

The Scottish First Minister tweeted: “If one part of UK can retain regulatory alignment with EU and effectively stay in the single market (which is the right solution for Northern Ireland) there is surely no good practical reason why others can’t.”

SNP MP Angus MacNeil also believes the concession paves the way for Scotland having a similar deal, even if other parts of the UK leave the EU altogether.

He told BuzzFeed News: “Yes, [it’s] completely impossible [to deny Scotland the same deal as Northern Ireland]. Why should Scotland have a terrible deal and Ireland a good deal?”

Ireland’s deputy premier and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the Dublin government’s concerns over the post-Brexit border were set to be addressed fully.

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan echoed the SNP’s sentiments, tweeting that London should get the same Brexit deal as Northern Ireland.

He tweeted: “Londoners overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU and a similar deal here could protect tens of thousands of jobs.”

Regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland and the Republic is likely to mean both sides following the same rules governing trade, to ensure that goods can continue to move freely across a “soft” border with no checks.

Lord Trimble, former leader of the Ulster Unionists and ex-Northern Ireland first minister, said he was left “shocked” and “scratching his head” at reports of a deal allowing continued regulatory alignment across the border.

He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: “We need to see the detail of this. I think it’s a thoroughly bad idea. If this operates purely on a Northern Ireland basis, it’s going to put Northern Ireland businesses … potentially, at a very significant disadvantage.

“Because, they would be locked into European regulatory provisions, whereas the rest of the United Kingdom, which is their major market, is free from those, and may have different regulatory provisions entirely.”

DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson, whose party is effectively keeping Mrs May in Downing Street in a confidence and supply deal with the minority Tory Government, also warned her not to proceed with regulatory alignment.

He said: “I think that this is emanating from the Irish Government, obviously, trying to push the UK Government into a corner in the negotiations.

“It is not well thought through. I don’t think, given its promises, the British Government could concede on this.”

He added: “Potentially, this is very bad news for Northern Ireland, if it happens.”

The issue of the Irish border is one of the sticking points stopping Britain and the EU reaching a deal before they can move on to the next phase of talks, dealing with trade and a transition period.

European Council president Donald Tusk said the two sides were “getting closer” to making the required “sufficient progress” for him to recommend that negotiations move on.