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Scotland Threatens To Prevent Brexit, Defying UK Vote

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Guy Bentley Research Associate, Reason Foundation
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The Scottish National Party is threatening to block the U.K.’s historic decision to leave the EU.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC that her government in Edinburgh would try to block the British people’s vote for Brexit.

“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?” Said Sturgeon. “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 UK voted 52 percent to 48 percent to leave the EU, but Scotland overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU, putting it directly at odds with England.

“If the Scottish Parliament was judging this on the basis of what’s right for Scotland then the option of saying look we’re not to vote for something that’s against Scotland’s interest, of course that’s got to be on the table,” said Sturgeon. (RELATED: Bitter Europhiles Try To Reverse Brexit Vote With A Petition)

Sturgeon said she would instruct her 63 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) to refuse to give their “legislative consent” for Brexit. But the leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson hit back saying the parliament in Edinburgh did not have the authority to prevent Brexit.

Her remarks were backed up by an expert in the British constitution and Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins who tweeted that the Scottish parliament Holyrood had no power prevent Brexit.

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