Scotland must make choice over EU future

SCOTTISH FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned her country faces a “choice” over its future after the Supreme Court’s Brexit ruling.

The Supreme Court ruled that the Westminster government was not obliged by law to consult Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast over Brexit.

Ms Sturgeon has previously called for Scotland to be allowed to remain in the European single market even if the rest of the UK leaves.

Pointing to Scotland’s overwhelming vote to remain in the EU, she has argued a so-called hard Brexit would bring the prospect of a second independence referendum closer.

Scottish Nationalists were particularly angry at the court’s decision that the Sewel Convention – an agreement that the UK Government will not legislate on matters devolved to the Scottish Parliament – does not apply.

They said the ruling casts doubt on the wider devolution settlement.

In comments that will be seen as a further reason to seek independence again, Ms Sturgeon said: “This raises fundamental issues above and beyond that of EU membership.

“Is Scotland content for our future to be dictated by an increasingly right-wing Westminster government with just one MP here – or is it better that we take our future into our own hands?

“It is becoming ever clearer that this is a choice that Scotland must make.”