Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that if Scots wanted to vote in a second referendum on whether to stay part of the United Kingdom, the British government would be wrong to block it.
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Prime Minister Theresa May has said Scotland should be “fully engaged” in Brexit talks and that she won’t trigger Article 50 until a UK-wide approach is agreed.
Visiting Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, as her first port of call soon after taking power, is an effort to underscore the importance Prime Minister May places on the relationship between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
May said that she would not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, triggering the secession process for Britain, before objectives for negotiations are thoroughly prepared.
“And I want to say something else to the people of Scotland too: the Government I lead will always be on your side”.
SNP leader Ms Sturgeon has already begun preparatory work on a second independence referendum as she studies ways to stop Scotland leaving the EU. Whilst it’s a catchphrase which is meant to reassure those who want Britain to leave the European Union (and those who don’t, but respect the outcome of the vote), it’s actually pretty vapid. Sturgeon says Scots must not be dragged out of the European Union against their will and she will explore all options for preventing that from happening, including a second referendum on independence from the rest of the United Kingdom.
Two years ago, Scots voted to remain part of the UK.
She will meet with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon later Friday in a bid to convince Sturgeon there’s no need to consider another Scottish independence referendum.
But May said: “I think the question is: should there be another referendum?”
The first minister believes Scottish interests have been put “at risk” by the result of the European Union referendum.
“For those who still believe in the United Kingdom, I think the onus is on them to prove it can still protect and defend Scotland’s interests”.
“So we’re not going to be in agreement with that and we’re not going to be in agreement with the idea that there should be another independence referendum”.
“That’s why I’ve assembled a team of experts that will advise me on the options that might exist, and it was very important today to get a commitment from the Prime Minister to listen to options that the Scottish Government will bring forward”.
May’s decision to make her first official trip as prime minister a visit to Scotland was an indication of the high priority she is placing on keeping Scotland within the United Kingdom despite differing views over Britain’s decision to leave the EU.
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May’s visit on Friday was meant to show her commitment to keeping the United Kingdom intact and to calm Scottish nerves.
