these are extraordinary political times
for Scotland after voters here
emphatically back remaining in the EU
while a majority across the UK voted to
leave diverging trends are putting
unprecedented strain on the three
century-old political union between
England and Scotland many voters here
who back Scotland to stay in the UK in a
referendum less than two years ago are
deeply dismayed at the prospect of being
forced out of the EU with cross-party
backing in the Scottish Parliament First
Minister Nicola Sturgeon is launching a
diplomatic campaign to secure Scotland's
European status this is not a statement
I wanted to make the scottish government
didn't seek a referendum on our
membership of the european union and we
certainly did not want this result
scotland spoke clearly for remain and i
am determined that Scotland's voice will
be haired mr. John says she's ready to
consider all options but she's warned
that a second independence referendum is
highly likely based on the very clear
result in Scotland if we were to be
removed from the EU it would be against
the will of our people that would be
democratically unacceptable it is for
that reason that I have said that
everything must be on the table to
protect our place in Europe including a
second independence referendum in an
impassioned speech of European
Parliament allen Smith of her scottish
national party demanded that Scotland
should be allowed to stay and he won a
standing ovation from sympathetic fellow
mbps chef collect do not let Scotland
stone no
but whether EU leaders in member states
will be willing to accommodate Scotland
is highly unclear as is the likely level
of support for Scottish independence if
another referendum is called much may
depend on how the UK's brexit
negotiations go this drama is just
beginning mure Dickie Financial Times
Edinburgh