Small EU states boost indy case

The power wielded by smaller EU members over the UK’S Brexit future has “powerfully illustrated” the case for independence in Europe, Nicola Sturgeon claimed as Theresa May went before European leaders in Brussels.

“12 of the 27 EU member states that will decide the UK’S future have populations smaller than or similar in size to Scotland’s,” the First Minister tweeted last night. “If we become independent we get to sit at that table – enjoying the same solidarity shown to Ireland – instead of being sidelined by Westminster.”

Ms Sturgeon added: “It is gloriously ironic that Brexit has ended up illustrating so powerfully the benefits for small countries of independence in Europe.”

Earlier, the Prime Minister was warned by the SNP’S Westminster leader that the public had to be given a vote on any “backroom agreement” between the government and Labour on Brexit.

Ian Blackford challenged Mrs May at PMQS to say if she had offered a so-called People’s Vote in talks with Labour – “Yes or no?”.

The Prime Minister said she did not support a second EU vote, but amid reports that MPS could be given the choice on whether to hold one as part of a compromise between the two main parties, she did not rule it out.

Mr Blackford pressed the issue, saying: “People can’t have faith in a backroom agreement cooked up by two party leaders who don’t possess the ingredients to hold their parties together, nevermind hold these islands together… Scotland won’t be forced to accept what these two Brexit parties are preparing to serve up.

To shouts from SNP MPS, Mrs May replied that it was “a little bit difficult for some of us in this House to hear week after week him stand up and say that the UK should stay in the European Union, when Scottish independence would have meant taking Scotland out of the EU.”