MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
May and Sturgeon unable to find common ground; Scottish parliament will vote on independence referendum
Earlier in the day, May stressed the importance of maintaining Britain's “strength and stability” as Britain prepares to leave the European Union. 
Sturgeon told the BBC on Monday the hour-long meeting had been cordial but that May had made no concessions, which had left the Scottish first minister frustrated. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and British Prime Minister Theresa May were unable to find common ground during a meeting in Scotland, just a day before the Scottish parliament is set to sanction another independence referendum.
Sturgeon told the BBC on Monday the hour-long meeting had been cordial but that May had made no concessions on her position, which had left the Scottish first minister frustrated.
She expected May to discuss which powers could be passed back from Brussels straight to the devolved government in Scotland after Brexit, but Sturgeon said there was “no willingness” to enter into talks.
Earlier in the day, May stressed the importance of maintaining Britain's “strength and stability” as Britain prepares to leave the European Union.
May told civil servants the union of Britain's four nations must not become “looser and weaker” in a speech to her government's Department for International Development in East Kilbride, near Glasgow.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are an “unstoppable force” and the separate parts of Britain's union must not drift apart, the prime minister added.
Scotland's devolved parliament is expected on Tuesday to back Sturgeon's plan to hold a referendum and empower her to start talks with May's government in Westminster.
But May has deemed the plan for a second public vote on Scottish independence “divisive”. Scotland voted against independence in 2014.
If, as expected, the Scottish parliament empowers Sturgeon to begin formal talks, May's government is likely to delay the process and attempt to persuade the SNP to hold a referendum after Britain completes the Brexit process in March 2019.
May plans to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which allows a nation to leave the EU after up to two years of negotiations, on March 29.
More than 60% of voters in Scotland opted to stay in the EU in the Brexit referendum, while 52% voted for Brexit across Britain and Northern Ireland.
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Read all commentsYes Mr. Think I'm sure there is....the usual response from people that don't live here or are part timers...whose income is not dependant on the Scottish economy...
Mar 28th, 2017 - 07:29 pm +1It's a wonderful romantic notion that I firmly believe would devastate the Scottish economy and their relationship with the English...
The majority of tourists to Scotland are English the majority of trade with Scotland...is also English...
Speaking of English and England it comes as no surprise that all the material that EscoSesDoidao seems to quote either comes from England (Bath) (wingsoverScotland) or Craig Murray...an Englishman born in Norfolk rejected by the SNP...
DT
Apr 02nd, 2017 - 12:02 pm +1As I said before, Thicko HATES the English....probably an inferiority complex...he has much to feel inferior about.
He has to slant “history” to prove that it is all the England's fault, ignoring the fact that Scotland was complicit in the slave trade in the West Indies.
Look at the place names that reflect Scotland and the names common in the black population. They would be recognisable and common in Sauchiehall street in Glasgow.
In his twisted mind, Scotland is being held as an unwilling part of the UK by the perfidious devious English.
Many English would think that the Scots are ruling England.
It's a choice of which union? The one with with which Scotland does 4x the trade of the other one (UK). The one which has lasted 300 yrs (UK), or the one in deep trouble after 40yrs (EU). The democratic one or the one with un-elected officials exercising huge power?
Mar 28th, 2017 - 05:19 pm 0Indyref is a misnomer as independence isn't even on offer. Given the choice between being part of a UK union or a less democratic failed EU union it's such an easy call.
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