Now isn’t the time for another Scotland poll May tells Sturgeon

THERESA May yesterday clashed with SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon over the Prime Minister’s refusal to back a swift Scottish independence referendum.

Ahead of meeting Scotland’s First Minister in Glasgow Mrs May remained steadfast in her view that “now is not the time” for a second breakaway vote.

She added: “Now is the time when we should be pulling together, not hanging apart, pulling together to make sure we get the best possible deal for the whole of the UK.

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“Also I think it would be unfair on the people of Scotland to ask them to make a significant decision until all the facts were known, at a point where nobody knows what the situation is going to be.”

Ms Sturgeon wants the Scottish referendum vote between autumn 2018 and spring 2019 – about the time Britain is expected to leave the European Union.

Today the Scottish Parliament is expected to back her in a vote but a referendum would have to be given the green light by Westminster. Ms Sturgeon insists the vote is justified because most Scots voted to remain in the EU and deserve a chance to reject a “hard” Brexit which ignores Scotland’s concerns.

Mrs May, who will tomorrow kickstart Brexit by invoking Article 50, said her government had held “considerable” discussions at all levels with the Scottish and other devolved UK governments about their concerns for Brexit.

“I want to ensure that we get the best possible deal for the whole of the UK, including people in Scotland,” said Mrs May.

Earlier, in a speech in East Kilbride to Department for International Development staff, the Prime Minister vowed never to let the union of its four nations get “looser and weaker”.

Later Ms Sturgeon said there was no “rational” case against permitting a Scottish referendum on her timetable and said she would set out her plans later if the Government formally rejected her call for another vote.