Scotland wants immediate talks with the European Union on protecting its place in the bloc, after Britain’s vote to leave the EU, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Saturday.
Speaking after an emergency meeting of her cabinet, Sturgeon said it had agreed to seek “immediate discussions with the EU institutions and other EU member states to explore all possible options to protect Scotland’s place in the EU.”
The UK as a whole voted by 52 percent to 48 percent to leave the EU in Thursday’s historic referendum. But Scotland voted strongly for Britain to remain -- by 62 percent to 38 percent.
On Friday, Sturgeon said the results put a fresh referendum on Scottish independence “on the table,” adding that it was “highly likely” within two years.
She cited a clause in her Scottish National Party manifesto that there had been a “significant and material change in the circumstances” in which Scotland voted against independence in 2014, when 55 percent of Scots voted to stay in the UK.
On Saturday, Sturgeon reiterated her plans.
“As I said yesterday, a second independence referendum is clearly an option that requires to be on the table and is very much on the table,” she said.
“To ensure that that option is a deliverable one within the required timetable, steps will be taken now to ensure that the necessary legislation is in place. Cabinet this morning formally agreed that work.”
-
Scottish university withdraws Trump’s honorary degree
The billionaire, who has ancestral roots in Scotland, owns golf courses and hotels in the country Variety -
EU’s founding members say talks on UK exit needed urgently
Foreign ministers of the six founding members called for a quick Brexit start to avoid financial and political troubles News -
How the Brexit will turn Great Britain into Little England
The United Kingdom might still remain a political and economic force to reckon with, but... World -
British pound sinks to 31-year low after Brexit vote shocks world
The franc surged to its strongest in almost a year against the euro, and the yen to its highest in more than two years Economy -
Why UK-loving Greeks are in limbo after the Brexit vote
What kind of changes will the Brexit bring for the Greeks working, residing, studying and travelling often to the UK? Blogs