YOU’LL have had your vote on independence, Theresa May told Nicola Sturgeon when the two met in Edinburgh yesterday.
It was May’s first official trip since taking the job as Prime Minister, and that was mostly to do with the constitutional headache left for her by predecessor David Cameron.
The more May pushes towards Brexit, the more chance she has of pushing Scotland toward independence. But she has assured leave voters that Brexit means Brexit, while Sturgeon has assured Scots that remain means remain. Despite May’s insistence that the 2014 referendum should be considered final, Sturgeon made clear that independence was still very much on the table.
It was something of an early victory for Sturgeon, who received a commitment from May that the Scottish Government would be involved in Brexit negotiations.
The Prime Minister went as far to say that the UK would not trigger Article 50, the formal process of leaving the EU, until there was a deal that would satisfy Scotland and the other devolved administrations.
“I’m willing to listen to options and I’ve been very clear with the First Minister today that I want the Scottish Government to be fully engaged in our discussion,” May said.
“I have already said that I won’t be triggering Article 50 until I think that we have a UK approach and objectives for negotiations. I think it is important that we establish that before we trigger Article 50.”
On independence, May said: “The Scottish people had their vote. They voted in 2014 and a very clear message came through. Both the United Kingdom and the Scottish Government said they would abide by that.” The Prime Minister went on: “We now have the challenge, though, as the United Kingdom to ensure that we can get the best possible deal for the whole of the United Kingdom from the EU negotiations when the UK leaves the EU.
“I’m very clear that the Government I lead will be for all parts of the United Kingdom and for all people.”
Despite the looming battle ahead, Sturgeon said the talks were constructive and even suggested the two leaders could have a good relationship.
“The Prime Minister and I have big political disagreements but we are both women who approach business in a similar way, so I think we can have a good working relationship notwithstanding those political differences,” she said.
“These negotiations have yet to take shape and the UK Government don’t yet know exactly how they will proceed from here. But there is an agreement that Scottish Government officials will be very closely involved in discussions to give shape to this process and will be involved in that process. Crucially, and the most important point from my point of view, is that that process will be open to considering options that the Scottish Government brings forward.”
Sturgeon also said she was “consistently clear” that she had to keep all options available and that if the best way to protect Scotland’s relationship with Europe was as an independent member, then “a second independence referendum is of course on the table”.
May’s visit came as her minister for Brexit, David Davis, suggested Article 50 could be triggered by the end of this year, and a “brisk but measured” approach to negotiations could lead to a likely exit from the EU around December 2018.
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