The UK Government must remove the clause of its EU Withdrawal Bill that relates to Scotland, Michael Russell has said.

Scotland's Brexit minister wrote to UK Cabinet Office minister David Lidington saying that without Holyrood's consent, the contentious clause should be dropped.

MSPs voted to formally refuse legislative consent last month to the UK bill with backing from the SNP, Scottish Labour, the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens.

This vote does not prevent the UK Government from introducing the law, but if it does so it would be the first bill passed at Westminster against the formal wishes of the Scottish Parliament.

Russell told Lidington the "correct constitutional position" for UK ministers would now be to remove the bill's controversial clause 15 as it relates to Scotland altogether.

He also claimed UK Government officials had shown a "reluctance to meet" with representatives from Scottish parties since the vote to deny consent, all of whom bar the Scottish Conservatives backed the motion.

The proposed Withdrawal Bill has caused a months-long rift between the Scottish and UK governments over devolved powers post-Brexit.

Dubbed a "power grab" by Scottish ministers, clause 15, formerly clause 11, would see some powers held by the EU not immediately passed to Holyrood despite coming under devolved policy areas.

These include areas like farming, fishing, environmental protections, food standards and food labelling.

Theresa May's government maintains this is necessary for a period of time to develop common UK-wide frameworks that protect trade within Britain.

UK ministers reached a deal with the Welsh Government, which had initially joined Nicola Sturgeon's administration in its opposition to the UK bill.

Writing to Lidington on Wednesday, Russell said: "You have recognised that clause 15 (formerly 11) of the bill requires the legislative consent of the Scottish Parliament; the UK Government's own supporting documents also make this clear.

"That consent has not been forthcoming.

"By constitutional convention and practice since 1999, the bill cannot complete its Westminster stages in its current form without that consent.

"The UK Government must now explain how - not if - it proposes to reflect the views of the Scottish Parliament.

"If no alternative approach is proposed by the UK Government to respond to the Scottish Parliament's views the correct constitutional position is for the UK Government to remove Clause 15 (formerly 11) as it relates to Scotland from the bill."

He added: "Given the bill makes reference to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland separately you are able to respond appropriately to the absence of consent from Scotland without affecting in any way the agreement reached with Wales or the position in relation to Northern Ireland.

"A failure on the UK Government's part to act in line with the refusal of the Scottish Parliament to consent to the bill would wilfully undermine the devolution settlement and the confidence of the Scottish Parliament in the UK Government's respect for devolution."

The minister also said he was "consulting the other Scottish parliamentary parties regarding your reluctance to meet with them as I requested in my letter of 15 May".

Copying all the leaders of the Scottish parties into the letter, Russell added: "Given reports that the EU Withdrawal Bill is due to return to the Commons next Tuesday, and that the UK Government must bring forward the necessary amendments to reflect the Scottish Parliament's view before then, I am also publishing this correspondence today."

A UK Government spokesman said: "We would be happy to discuss any new proposals with the Scottish Government.

"We have worked hard over the past year to try to secure their support and have put a considerable offer on the table that sees the vast majority of EU powers with devolved responsibilities automatically flow to Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

"As agreed with the Welsh Government, this fully respects the devolution settlement and it is disappointing that the Scottish Government have not yet agreed to this.

"We have been clear that we cannot give any one devolved administration a veto over how the whole UK internal market operates."