FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called on Boris Johnson to resign as Prime Minister following the historic Supreme Court ruling.

The court's 11 justices unanimously found that the prorogation he had advised the Queen to call was unlawful.

Sturgeon was interviewed on Sky News by presenter Adam Boulton in the wake of the result.

Asked for her reaction to the judgment, the First Minister said: “We often hear hyperbole at moments like this, but it is no exaggeration today to say that this is the most significant and historic constitutional court ruling that we’ve had in all of our lifetimes.

“I mean let’s just be blunt about the significance of that ruling. It has found that the Prime Minister acted unlawfully in seeking to prorogue Parliament, that he had no good reason for doing so, that in fact it was about evading scrutiny and closing down parliamentary accountability, and all at a time of political and constitutional crisis for the country.

“I think what should happen now firstly is that Parliament should be back in session, I understand from my colleagues in the House of Commons that Parliament is likely to be back in session tomorrow morning.

“But secondly, I and don’t say this lightly, but I’m going to be blunter than Jeremy Corbyn was in the clip I’ve just heard: I think Boris Johnson should resign. This is a Prime Minister who has been found by the UK Supreme Court to have acted unlawfully seeking to evade scrutiny and without good reason. And if the rules of democracy are to mean anything, then I think a Prime Minister with any honour would tender his resignation today.”

Boulton then asked for Sturgeon's thoughts on "the Queen's position".

She responded: “Well I think the issue here is the behaviour of the Prime Minister. The Queen was presented with the proposal as is the way these things, I understand normally happen. This is about the conduct and the behaviour of a Prime Minister who is, or should be, had he not sought to prorogue Parliament, be accountable to Parliament, and I think the focus today should be on that.

“So I do believe – and I stress I don’t say this lightly – but I think if the rules of democracy are to mean anything, if accountability is to mean anything, then this is a Prime Minister that is not fit for office. Parliament’s principal priority should continue to be to block a No-Deal Brexit at the end of October, but if the Prime Minister isn’t prepared to do the decent and honourable thing in tendering his resignation, then I think Parliament should quickly come together to force this Prime Minister from office.”

The host then put to her: “The problem is that the clock is ticking at the moment. As it stands we are due to leave the European Union on Halloween with or without a deal … doesn’t really leave time for a General Election, might leave time for a vote of no confidence.

“You’re saying the Prime Minister should step down, but wouldn’t that just be Britain’s politicians muddling around, bringing each other down, while the whole country drifts towards a No-Deal Brexit?”

Sturgeon replied: “Well, look, if I may say so, Britain’s politicians have been muddling around for the past three years, that’s why we’re in the position we’re in right now.

"Now, of course, crucially, the Benn Act was passed before the attempt to prorogue. Let’s not forget that the court judgement today says that parliament’s not actually prorogued, but the Benn act was passed before that attempt, so there is legislation on the statute book now that requires if there is No Deal – and I think that it’s very unlikely there will be a deal in this timescale – that requires the Government to seek an extension. So the means is there to avoid a No-Deal Brexit, but that should not allowed this Prime Minister to evade scrutiny and accountability.

“As I said at the very outset of this interview it is not uncommon for politicians to engage in hyperbole at moments like this, but it is no exaggeration to say that this is the most significant court judgment that any of us have seen, it is quite extraordinary, and the manner of its delivery was quite extraordinary, and I think if a Prime Minister who has been found to have acted in the way that the Supreme Court has said that he acted today is able to stay in office than I think the precedence that sets and what that means for democracy and accountability in the future is pretty grim.”

Boulton asked if Johnson had lied to the First Minister in their dealings. 

She said: “Look, I’ve only had one meeting with him since he became Prime Minister, I think I was pretty blunt at the time that I thought he was completely dismissive of the real implications of a No-Deal Brexit, so in that sense, when he was talking to me, I don’t think he was being frank about the implications of leaving the EU without a deal.

“I look at a lot of this evidence, I look at these assumptions myself as First Minister of Scotland, so I know that him and his government are trying to underplay the severity of that. In that sense I don’t think the Government has been straight with people across the UK, let alone with me or with other politicians.

“This is an incredibly serious situation now. I absolutely think the priority must continue to be to avoid a No-Deal Brexit, but the means is there on the statute book to do that.

“But in terms of the health of our democracy, we cannot allow a Prime Minister who that has been the subject of that extraordinary ruling this morning to simply stay in office with impunity. I think that would be the wrong decision not just in the immediate term but for the longer term as well.”

Boulted asked finally: “And finally, I just want to ask you, we’re all wondering where the UK is heading, do you think the UK is going to leave the European Union?”

The First Minister replied: “I think it’s unthinkable that the UK leaves the European Union on October 31 and that’s why I’m absolutely of the view that Parliament should continue to block a No-Deal Brexit.

“I don’t want the UK to leave the European Union at all, Scotland didn’t vote for that, so I’m determined to give Scotland every opportunity to remain in the European Union.

“But ultimately of course, and I think this becomes clearer by the day, the only way in the future that Scotland can be sure that we determine our own future, not have it determined for us by people like Boris Johnson, is to be an independent country, so that we can join the other independent member states of the European Union and chart our own future."