SNP ‘not hostile’ to vote over final deal

SNP ministers say they are ‘not hostile’ to the idea of a second referendum on EU membership but insist Scottish votes should be considered separately to the rest of the UK.

Brexit Minister Michael Russell yesterday gave the strongest indication yet that his party could back calls from extremist Remain supporters for a public vote on the terms of the final Brexit deal.

But he was accused of using the issue as part of a ‘calculation’ designed to help the case for breaking up Britain after he insisted votes in Scotland would have to be considered separately.

It opens up the prospect that the SNP could use a further Remain vote in Scotland as a reason for an independence referendum if the rest of the UK again voted to Leave.

The SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, also said yesterday his party has an ‘open ear’ to calls for a second EU referendum.

Asked on the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland why the SNP has been reluctant to back a second EU referendum, Mr Russell said: ‘We are not reluctant to back such a campaign.’

He said he ‘cannot conceive’ of a vote taking place across the UK where Scotland cannot get a different outcome, and added: ‘That is the issue we have to resolve.’

Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins said: ‘They need to understand you can’t simply rerun a referendum simply because you don’t like the outcome of it.’

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: ‘Everything from the SNP is just a calculation about their Indyref obsession.’