A no deal Brexit would make a re-run of the Scottish independence referendum ‘irresistible’, Nicola Sturgeon claimed today.
In remarks that will infuriate unionists, the SNP leader returned again to her ambition to smash up the UK over the Brexit vote.
Ms Sturgeon’s incendiary claim was in response to reports Theresa May will invite the minister responsible for planning for a no deal exit to attend Cabinet.
The Scottish First Minister insisted a no deal Brexit was ‘unthinkable’ and the contingency plan should be to cancel leaving the EU if striking an exit deal is impossible.
Most polls show the Union with a comfortable lead. The most recent survey, last month, independence trails 42 to 49.
A no deal Brexit would make a re-run of the Scottish independence referendum ‘irresistible’, Nicola Sturgeon (file image) claimed today
Ms Sturgeon told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme she had read reports that a no deal minister could be appointed to Mrs May’s cabinet ‘in despair’.
‘It seems to give the impression that the UK Government think this is some kind of game, that Theresa May is more concerned with appeasing the hardline Tory Brexiteers than she is about acting in the best interests of the country.
‘No deal is unthinkable, let me be absolutely clear, no Brexit is preferable to no deal.’
She added: ‘The UK Government appears to be intent on pursuing not just Brexit but at times it appears they are intent on pursuing a very hard and extreme Brexit so my priority, my job, my focus, has to be to make sure that we do everything possible to protect Scotland’s best interests.
‘If Brexit is going to happen then in my view the priority is that we remain within the European single market and customs union because that is the least damaging outcome in terms of jobs and the economy.’
Most polls show the Union with a comfortable lead. The most recent survey, last month, independence trails 42 to 49
The Scottish Government will later this month publish fresh analysis of the impact of different Brexit outcomes on the economy.
Ms Sturgeon said the SNP was not campaigning for a second EU vote but added: ‘I’ve also said previously and I’ll say it again today that I do think that as the situation develops the argument for giving people a say on the final outcome may become irresistible’.
She added: ‘In 2016 there was no detail about what the future relationship between the UK and the EU would be if there was a vote for Brexit and we go into 2018 – a year and a half after that referendum took place – and we still don’t have any detail about what that future relationship is going to be.
‘So if we did get into a position for example where there was no deal then I’m very clear and I think a lot of people, certainly in Scotland but I suspect across the UK as a whole, would think that in those circumstances no Brexit was absolutely preferable to a no deal situation which would be devastating for so many aspects of our economy and our society.’
Asked about the timeframe for any potential second Scottish independence referendum, the First Minister said: ‘Once we see the outcome of this stage of negotiations that we’re about to go into, presumably later this year, then I’ll make an assessment and a judgement and give that to parliament in due course.’
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has demanded the SNP give up on independence and focus on running the country