PM does not have 'agreed UK-wide approach' to Brexit, says SNP's Robertson
SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson has urged Theresa May not to "carry on regardless" with Brexit against the interests of Scotland after the Scottish Parliament voted overwhelmingly against triggering Article 50.
SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson has urged Theresa May not to "carry on regardless" with Brexit against the interests of Scotland after the Scottish Parliament voted overwhelmingly against triggering Article 50.
Mr Robertson accused the Prime Minister of failing to keep her promise of securing "an agreed UK-wide approach" before starting the Brexit process.
Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, the Moray MP said: "If the United Kingdom is a partnership of equals, will the Prime Minister compromise like the Scottish Government and reach a negotiated agreement before invoking Article 50 or will she just carry on regardless?"
Mrs May said the UK Government had a mandate to negotiate on behalf of all its nations but she was committed to working with the devolved administrations.
She told MPs: "We have put in place the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) arrangements through various commitments which enable us to work closely with the devolved administrations to identify the particular issues that they want to see represented as we put our views together.
"We have said we will intensify the discussions within that JMC arrangement and that is exactly what we will be doing."
MSPs voted by 90 to 34 to oppose the UK Government starting the process to leave the European Union during a largely symbolic vote in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.
Mr Robertson said: "When the Prime Minister was in Edinburgh on July 15 last year, she pledged that she would, and I quote, 'not trigger Article 50 until she had an agreed UK-wide approach'.
"So given that the Scottish Parliament has voted overwhelmingly against her approach, and all bar one MP representing a Scottish constituency in this House of Commons voted against her approach, she does not have an agreed UK-wide approach."
Mrs May said: "First of all, the Supreme Court was very clear that the Scottish Parliament does not have a veto on the triggering of Article 50. The Bill that is going through the House obviously is giving the power to the Government to trigger Article 50.
"I would also remind him of this point because he constantly refers to the interests of Scotland inside the European Union. An independent Scotland would not be in the European Union."