Sturgeon refuses to rule out hard border with England

NICOLA STURGEON has refused to rule out a separate Scotland having a hard border with England as she confirmed she will ask Boris Johnson for a referendum within the next few weeks.

The First Minister pledged to be “frank and honest” in a second independence vote about the prospect of border controls at Berwick-upontweed if Scotland left the UK and joined the EU. But she insisted that her independence plans would not be to blame for a hard border, despite it only being required if Scotland separates.

Ms Sturgeon also confirmed she will table a request to the Prime Minister in a “matter of weeks” for the powers to hold another referendum.

Although Mr Johnson is expected to say no, she said the situation was “very fluid” and that Jeremy Corbyn could be in No 10 by the time she makes the request. Ms Sturgeon warned Mr Corbyn not to “even bother to pick up the phone to me” to ask her to prop up a minority Labour government if he is not willing to authorise another referendum.

The Labour leader dodged questions on the issue yesterday, and refused to dismiss outright the idea of another independence vote. He suggested such a ballot should not happen “in the early years” of a Labour government.

Speaking on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Mr Corbyn said: “What I have said is we do not think independence is a good idea. We would not even countenance it in the early years of a Labour government.” He also cautioned MPS against backing any deal the Prime Minister secures with the EU, even if it came with another referendum.

The SNP leader echoed his comments, telling BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show that MPS would reject any deal Boris Johnson brought back from Brussels, but denied this would lead to the UK crashing out with no deal.