The Scottish Government will call a second independence referendum if the UK opts for a so-called “hard Brexit”, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.
The First Minister said her administration would work with others “to try to save the UK as a whole from the fate of a hard Brexit”, where the country is removed from the single market.
As part of that the SNP leader is demanding new powers for Scotland over issues such as immigration.
But while she accepted that leaving the UK would bring “challenges”, she said she would make sure that voters had that choice if the Tory government at Westminster fails to secure a deal that keeps Scotland in Europe’s free trade area.
Ms Sturgeon told the SNP national conference in Glasgow that the party would “work with others across the political divide to try to save the UK as a whole from the fate of a hard Brexit”.
As part of that she said: “We will propose new powers to help keep Scotland in the single market even if the UK leaves.
“But if the Tory government rejects these efforts, if it insists on taking Scotland down a path that hurts our economy, costs jobs, lowers our living standards and damages our reputation as an open, welcoming, diverse country, then be in no doubt Scotland must have the ability to choose a better future.
“And I will make sure that Scotland gets that chance.”
While the UK as a whole opted to leave the European Union in June’s referendum, 62% of Scottish voters backed remain, with Ms Sturgeon saying then this made another vote on independence “highly likely”.
She has already told the conference the Scottish Government will publish a draft independence referendum bill for consultation next week.
