‘No economic case’ for Scottish independence – Theresa May

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, elected leader in 2014 after an unsuccessful referendum to break away from the United Kingdom, has long said she will seek to give Scots a second vote if they are forced into a “hard Brexit” that would end their preferential access to the EU’s single market and free movement of labor.

She said her first visit outside of England after she took office in July previous year was to Scotland, because the UK’s unity was a priority for her. London should not be permitted to dictate the terms of Scotland’s future, she said.

Mrs May claims it is “very clear” that people in Scotland do not want another vote on independence, but has so far not said whether she will grant permission for it if the Scottish Parliament calls for another referendum.

While her speech did not mention the prospect of a second Scottish independence referendum, Mrs May did mount a sustained attack on both the SNP and its core policy.

Mr Mundell said: “So even where the Scottish and United Kingdom governments disagree about the means, we largely seek the same ends”.

Mrs May spent the vast majority of her 30-minute address extolling the virtues of the Union, insisting it should not be dismissed as a mere “constitutional artefact” and continues to be the “greatest family of nations” anywhere in the world. “They think independence is the answer to every question in every circumstance, regardless of fact and reality”.

“It is their single goal in political life”. “To me politics isn’t a game”.

“And yet the SNP propose Scottish independence, which would wrench Scotland out of its biggest market”.

David Mundell has made a plea to the Scottish Government to join “Team UK” to ensure the country gets the best deal from Brexit.

May pledged that more powers will be given to Holyrood when they’re returned from Brussels, but failed to name what those powers might be.

“The Scottish government’s approach since the European Union referendum has been to offer compromise and to seek consensus at every turn — in return the United Kingdom government’s has so far been one of obstinacy and intransigence”, Sturgeon said in an emailed statement Thursday.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been demanding substantial new powers are transferred to Holyrood following Brexit.

The British government could reject a request from Scotland for a second vote, but this would only increase tensions with Edinburgh.

Frank McAveety, the Labour leader of Glasgow City Council, said his party would continue to oppose a “hard Tory Brexit”.

“We don’t need it we don’t want it – and you should take the threat of another independence referendum off the table now”.