Sturgeon in ‘self ish’ warning to Corbyn
NICOLA Sturgeon was last night accused of acting in ‘her own selfish interests’ after she urged Jeremy Corbyn not to strike a Brexit deal with Theresa May.
The First Minister held separate meetings with the Prime Minister and the Labour leader in London to discuss the Brexit stalemate yesterday.
Mrs May urged Miss Sturgeon to ‘come together to deliver for people in Scotland and the whole of the UK’.
But Miss Sturgeon later disclosed that she had warned Mr Corbyn not to ‘fall into a trap’ in helping Britain’s exit from the EU.
Scottish Tory chief whip Maurice Golden said: ‘No matter what developments were taking place on the Brexit front, Nicola Sturgeon would object. There’s only one way forward for her – the path that makes another independence referendum more likely.
‘That’s why no one should believe she is being constructive or in this for anything other than her own selfish interests.’
Mrs May agreed to hold talks with Miss Sturgeon as part of attempts to break the Brexit stalemate, ahead of a separate meeting with Mr Corbyn.
The Prime Minister had said that national unity was required to try to make progress.
After the talks, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I got the sense in my discussions with Jeremy Corbyn that he would drive a hard bargain. I have to say I possibly had the impression from the Prime Minister that she has got Jeremy Corbyn closer to a deal than might have been my view earlier on.
‘I really hope Labour doesn’t sell out here for a bad deal. In my view, it is absolutely essential that a second referendum is part of what Labour seek to discuss and to do that on a timescale that allows the Commons to look carefully at a possible compromise and then have that put to the people.’
On Mr Corbyn’s approach to talks with Mrs May, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I would be very careful. I would firstly be very cautious about agreeing to sign up to a bad withdrawal agreement on the strength of vague commitments about a new relationship that a new Prime Minister might rip up.
‘Secondly, I would be insisting on whatever compromise had to go back to the electorate for another vote because it is almost three years on and if a second-best compromise is to be open to people I think they should have the opportunity to decide if they want that or if they want to remain.
‘I said as much to him, I’d be pretty wary that I wasn’t falling into the trap of being the hand maiden of a Tory Brexit.’
After the talks with Miss Sturgeon, a Downing Street spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister met with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to discuss yesterday’s Cabinet meetings and the next steps in delivering the UK’s exit from the European Union in a smooth and orderly way.
‘The Prime Minister made clear this delay and division across the United Kingdom cannot continue and she is meeting with the Leader of the Opposition to find a proposal that can command the support of the House of Commons to allow the UK to leave the EU as soon as possible.
‘She added that Brexit is a decisive moment in our history and we must come together to deliver for people in Scotland and the whole of the UK.’
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said he would now be willing to back a customs union, adding: ‘I think obviously there is support in the House of Commons for a customs union.
‘It is not my preferred option, but I think it is just very important now that we find the basis for leaving that can command majority support.’
Meanwhile, Constitution Secretary Mike Russell was criticised after telling MSPs he would not necessarily accept the result of a second EU referendum.
After demanding a People’s Vote at yesterday’s finance committee meeting at Holyrood, he said it would be ‘unsupportable’ if the UK-wide result differed from Scotland.
Scottish Tory finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: ‘Far from compromising in order to deliver an orderly Brexit, the SNP just wants to use Brexit to create yet more grievance and constitutional division.
‘The only priority the SNP has is to deliver on its real goal – a second referendum on independence.’