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Scottish parliament could veto Britain's EU exit: Sturgeon

Scottish parliament could veto Britain's EU exit: Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon has declared the Scottish Parliament could veto Britain's exit form the European Union.

The first minister made the comment following the UK's referendum that found 52 per cent of voters wanted to leave the EU while 48 per cent wanted to stay.

Scotland had a very different result, 62 per cent of voters wanting to stay in the European bloc while only 38 per cent said they wanted out.

Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, told the BBC on Sunday members of the Holyrood, Scotland's parliament, could refuse to provide "legislative consent" for the EU-UK divorce.


"The issue you are talking about is would there have to be a legislative consent motion or motions for the legislation that extricates the UK from the European Union?" the SNP leader asked.

"Looking at it from a logical perspective, I find it hard to believe that there wouldn't be that requirement – I suspect that the UK government will take a very different view on that and we'll have to see where that discussion ends up."

The SNP holds 63 of the 129 seats in the Holyrood.

The comment comes on the back of Sturgeon saying she would reach out to European leaders in an effort to remain within he bloc, counter to the result of the Brexit vote.

Sturgeon also said another Scottish independence vote could be held in the future, just two years after voters elected to stay part of the UK in September 2014.