NICOLA Sturgeon has warned the "chaos" in the Tory Government raised the chances of a cliff edge Brexit.
The First Minister gave her assessment after arch Brexiteers Boris Johnson and David Davis stormed out of the Government yesterday in protest at the Brexit blueprint put forward by the Prime Minister.
Junior minister Steve Baker and parliamentary aides Chris Green and Conor Burns also quit.
The former foreign secretary said the plan, which would mean closer alignment on the trade of goods between the UK and Eu than previously proposed, would leave Britain “a colony” of Brussels while the former-Brexit Secretary said he could not sell it to MPs or the EU.
Interviewed on BBC Radio 4 programme this morning, Sturgeon said the resignations underlined the possibility of a no deal scenario.
"Of course a hard Brexit is always a prospect. I think the chaos at the heart of the UK Government does raise the prospect that we will go over the cliff edge," she said.
First Minster also made clear the SNP would not back May's plan – drawn up in Chequers last Friday as it excluded services from alignment with EU rules.
Asked if she would support the proposal, she said: "Not on the basis of the plan as it stands. I described it at the weekend as a step forward in the sense there appears to be more realism ... remains to be seen if it is acceptable to the EU.
"It still seems to be cherry picking from the four freedoms. It looks horrendously complicated and of course it excludes services which make up almost 80% of the Scottish economy and the UK economy for that matter.
Sturgeon added that it was also "highly questionable" if the Chequers plan would get majority support in the Commons.
Instead, she insisted it a plan which supported single market and customs union membership stood "a realistic chance of commanding a majority in the House of Commons as well as being the right thing in the interests of the economy is single market and customs union membership".
Questioned on Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson's claim that the Chequers proposals was the right approach for the Scottish economy, Sturgeon said "that with respect" Davidson would argue whatever May told her to.
Meanwhile, the SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford will today set out how the UK can learn from Scotland’s economic policies, and will call for the UK Government to ‘press the reset button‘ on its damaging austerity agenda – which he said is doing so much damage.
In a keynote speech in London, Blackford will outline the contrast between policies implemented by the SNP Scottish Government and the UK government, and the challenges and threats facing the devolution settlement.
The event is hosted by the IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) Commission on Economic Justice.
Commenting ahead of the event, he said: "With Brexit dominating - it is all the more imperative that we all look for solutions to protect, bolster and stabilise our economy. Today I am calling on the Tories to press the reset button – and abandon their austerity agenda which is doing so much damage."
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