Scotland's Brexit negotiator says it's still frustratingly unclear what kind of divorce the British government is seeking from the European Union, nearly five months after Britons voted in a referendum to leave.
"We're not clear on what they want, exactly how they want it - there is some considerable lack of clarity in the present situation," said Michael Russell, who is representing pro-EU Scotland in discussions about Brexit.
"It's been frustrating but we are entering into those negotiations with good faith and we presume they are too," he told Reuters during a visit to Berlin on Thursday.
Despite the uncertainty, Scotland would continue to work with the British government, he said.
While 52 per cent of Britons voted to quit the EU in the June 23 referendum, a 62 per cent majority in Scotland voted to stay in the bloc, putting a strain on the centuries-old union between London and Edinburgh.
That has raised the possibility that Scots might press for a new referendum on independence, even though more than 55 per cent voted in 2014 to stay in the UK.
A leaked memo this week from consultants Deloitte said Britain has no overall strategy for leaving the EU and splits in Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet could delay a clear negotiating position for six months. The government dismissed it as having no credibility
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