SNP pushes PM Theresa May for Brexit 'compromise'

Theresa May said an independent Scotland would not be in the EU

The SNP has urged the prime minister to not "carry on regardless" with Brexit as it called for her to secure a UK-wide compromise.

Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, SNP MP Angus Robertson said Holyrood had voted overwhelmingly against triggering Article 50.

But Mrs May responded by saying the Supreme Court had ruled Holyrood did not have a veto over Brexit.

She added that an independent Scotland would not be in the EU.

The Scottish Parliament voted by 90 to 34 to oppose the UK government starting the process to leave the EU during a largely symbolic vote on Tuesday.

And all but one of the country's 59 MPs has opposed the government's Brexit bill, which is due to complete its passage through the Commons on Wednesday evening.

Mr Robertson told PMQs that the prime minister had failed to keep her promise of securing "an agreed UK-wide approach" before starting the process to leave the EU.

The Moray MP said: "If the United Kingdom is a partnership of equals, will the prime minister compromise like the Scottish government and reach a negotiated agreement before invoking Article 50 or will she just carry on regardless?"

PA

Angus Robertson said the prime minister had broken her promise to seek a "UK-wide approach" to Brexit

Mrs May said the UK government had a mandate to negotiate on behalf of all its nations, but insisted she was committed to working with the devolved administrations.

She added that Mr Robertson "constantly refers to the interests of Scotland inside the European Union, but an independent Scotland would not be in the European Union".

The exchange came ahead of the Scottish government's Brexit minister, Michael Russell, meeting his UK government counterpart for further talks in London as part of the Joint Ministerial Committee.

Meanwhile, the Courier has reported that the prime minister is preparing a "secret strategy" in the belief that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will demand a referendum in August of next year.

'Game on'

And the Herald has published a poll which suggested support for Scottish independence increased after Mrs May indicated the UK would be leaving the single market.

The BMG survey of 1,067 adults living in Scotland, which was carried out between 26 and 31 January, put independence support at 49%, with 51% wanting to stay in the UK, when the "don't knows" were excluded.

But the poll also suggested that, once "don't knows" were excluded, 56% of those asked do not want another independence referendum before the UK leaves the EU, while 44% do.

A similar poll by the same company last month suggested 45.5% were Yes supporters and 54.5% backed No, almost the same result as the 2014 referendum.

Former SNP leader and Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, who has consistently predicted a referendum in the autumn of 2018, tweeted the latest poll alongside the words "Game on..."

Scottish Parliament

MSPs voted by 90 to 34 to oppose the UK government triggering Article 50

Ross Greer of the pro-independence Scottish Greens said the poll "highlights the impact of Westminster's refusal to seriously consider Scotland's vote to stay in the EU or any compromise proposals which have been presented to them".

But the pro-UK opposition parties at Holyrood repeated their calls for the SNP to rule out a vote on independence.

Scottish Labour MP Ian Murray said the SNP was "fixated" on independence, but claimed that "people in Scotland are very clear that they don't want another referendum".

And Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said the Herald poll showed no "meaningful shift" in support for independence and a "great reluctance among Scottish people to thrash this out again".

BBC Scotland's political editor, Brian Taylor, said Scotland appeared to be "almost certainly" heading towards an independence referendum next year.

But he believed it was "unlikely" that Ms Sturgeon would announce the date and details of the vote at the SNP conference in March.