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PM Theresa May travels to Scotland to pledge for “a more united nation”

Monday, March 27th 2017 - 11:13 UTC
Full article 67 comments
The prime minister is travelling to Scotland the day before Scottish Parliament is expected to pass a vote in favor of seeking a new Scottish independence referendum The prime minister is travelling to Scotland the day before Scottish Parliament is expected to pass a vote in favor of seeking a new Scottish independence referendum
Sturgeon wants a second referendum ahead of the UK's EU departure to give Scotland a choice between a “hard Brexit” and becoming an independent country Sturgeon wants a second referendum ahead of the UK's EU departure to give Scotland a choice between a “hard Brexit” and becoming an independent country

Prime Minister Theresa May will meet Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland later on Monday for the first time since the SNP announced their proposals for a second independence referendum. At the beginning of a week that will see Article 50 triggered on Wednesday, the PM will say she wants to “build a more united nation”.

 Mrs. May has said “now is not the time” for a Scottish independence referendum, as the Brexit process is due to begin. Meanwhile, Labour is due to outline its Brexit negotiation demands later.

The prime minister is travelling to Scotland the day before Scottish Parliament is expected to pass a vote in favor of seeking a new Scottish independence referendum - which Ms Sturgeon wants to hold in autumn 2018 or spring 2019.

The first minister has said that a second referendum should be held ahead of the UK's EU departure to give the people of Scotland a choice between what she calls a “hard Brexit” and becoming an independent country. But May has warned that a second referendum will make the UK “looser and weaker”.

Triggering Article 50 begins a two-year negotiation process to attempt to reach a deal before Britain officially leaves the EU in March 2019. The government is also due to publish its Great Repeal Bill, giving powers to amend some EU laws, on Thursday.

But Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer has said Labour will not support any Brexit deal unless it meets the party's “six tests”. Any deal must include a strong relationship with the EU and the exact same benefits the UK has from the single market, he said.

Ahead of the meeting, Mrs May will address staff at the Department for International Development in East Kilbride. She will say “the strength and stability” of the UK's union will “become even more important” as Britain leaves the EU - and the “one overarching goal” of her post-Brexit plan is “to build a more united nation”.

“A more united nation means working actively to bring people and communities together by promoting policies which support integration and social cohesion,” she will add.

“In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that means fully respecting, and indeed strengthening, the devolution settlements. But never allowing our Union to become looser and weaker, or our people to drift apart.”

 

Categories: Politics, International.

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  • Clyde15

    Think
    Disrespect Scottish culture ? What would you know about it apart from seeing it on shortbread tins and bottles of booze...which seem to affect what little cognisant capacity you demonstrate.

    My avatar says it all !!

    Apr 02nd, 2017 - 05:16 pm +3
  • Clyde15

    Think
    The bleeding heart sheds crocodile tears again...pardon the mixed metaphor.

    He did the bloke a huge favour...he sent him to paradise as a martyr.

    Of course you are the expert on the subject of stress in warfare. What the f***k do you know about it. They are fighting an enemy who does not wear a uniform, who will happily murder women and children in the name of his twisted religion. Shoot young girls for the crime of going to school, set off car bombs in market places, behead parents in front of their children and you are going boo hoo at the injustice of one insurgent, who was mortally wounded being sent off to paradise. For me,the only crime was that the marine did not dispose of more of them.

    Get real!

    By the way, what has this got to do with the subject header ?.

    Mar 28th, 2017 - 07:47 pm +2
  • Clyde15

    Thicko

    On other Engrish news... Engrish courts have just confirmed that the price of killing a muslim prisoner of war in cold blood is about three years...

    I Think them muslims will find this a cheap price...

    I believe that YOU started the diversion of the main topic..... see your post above !

    I only came in to counter your anti-English baloney. Change it to anti-British if you wish to be correct. There are Scots, Welsh and N.Irish serving in the RAF and other branches of the military. As to this stupid masquerade of supporting “Scotland”....total crap.

    You only do it to try and drive a wedge between UK posters. All you have managed to do with me is give me a profound dislike for Argentinians which I did not have before I came on to these forums. Scotland does NOT want any supposed support from you as it smacks of complete insincerity.

    You claim Scandinavian descent but of no specific country and live in a humble cabin in Chubut. How believable is that.

    Apr 02nd, 2017 - 11:49 am +2
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