SNP not a block to second EU referendum, Sturgeon tells Lib Dems

The SNP is not a block to a second referendum on the EU, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie urged the First Minister to join his party in calling for vote on the Brexit deal.

He pointed out that Ms Sturgeon's former adviser Noel Dolan called for the SNP to join the campaign for a second vote, and claimed Economy Secretary Keith Brown and SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford were open to the idea.

Speaking at First Minister's Questions, Mr Rennie claimed Ms Sturgeon had previously said she was “sympathetic'' to a referendum on the Brexit deal, adding: “If she is so sympathetic why doesn't she just pick it up?

He added: “With the backing of so many people in her party and the damage that Brexit is doing to the country, is the First Minister prepared, finally, to make a decision to put her government behind a public vote to back a vote on the Brexit deal?''

However, Ms Sturgeon said he was focusing on the wrong target.

She said: “It's not the SNP that's going to be a block if there is going to be a second referendum on the EU issue.

“I think if there's any prospect of that it's not the SNP he needs to convince, it's one of the main parties in Westminster that he will need to convince.

“Given that we can't, at the moment, seem to even convince Labour opposition at Westminster of the case for the single market I'm not sure there's much grounds for optimism.

She added: “The motivation for people arguing for another EU referendum is that they hope the result will be different from the one the last time.

“That's not really relevant in Scotland because in the EU referendum Scotland did vote to remain.

“The problem in Scotland is that our remain vote has been completely ignored.

“So what guarantees can Willie Rennie give people in Scotland that if that was the outcome again our remain vote wouldn't be ignored in exactly the same way all over again?''

In response, Mr Rennie said time was running out for the First Minister as the UK could be leaving the EU within month