Theresa May has assured Nicola Sturgeon that she will not trigger article 50 until “a UK-wide approach” has been agreed for negotiations to leave the European Union.
The prime minister was speaking after a nearly hour-long meeting with the Scottish first minister, who has pledged to consider all options for maintaining Scotland’s membership of the EU, including a second independence referendum.
Sturgeon, who described their discussion as “constructive and very good”, said she envisaged a good working relationship developing with May. However, she also reiterated to the new prime minister that she would continue to consider a second independence referendum as an option to protect Scotland’s interests post-Brexit.
In a striking change of tone to that she used with David Cameron, Sturgeon said: “The prime minister and I have big political disagreements but we are both women who approach business in a similar way, so I think we can have a good working relationship notwithstanding those political differences.”
May’s choice of Edinburgh for her first official visit as prime minister highlights the Westminster government’s sense of urgency about keeping the UK together after Scots voted 62% to 38% to remain in the EU.
The two women posed briefly for photographers outside the first minister’s official residence, Bute House, before beginning their meeting. It was only the third time that the pair had met, and their first formal one-to-one meeting.
After the talks, May told broadcasters outside Bute House: “I’m willing to listen to options and I’ve been very clear with the first minister today that I want the Scottish government to be fully engaged in our discussions.”
Describing the talks as positive, she added: “I have already said that I won’t be triggering article 50 until I think that we have a UK approach and objectives for negotiations – I think it is important that we establish that before we trigger article 50.”
Sturgeon said later that she was “very pleased that Theresa May said that she was absolutely willing to consider any options that the Scottish government now brings forward to secure Scotland’s relationship with the European Union”.
“These negotiations have yet to take shape and the UK government don’t yet know exactly how they will proceed from here, but there is an agreement that Scottish government officials will be very closely involved in discussions to give shape to this process and will be involved in that process. Crucially, and this is the most important point from my point of view, is that that process will be open to considering options that the Scottish government brings forward.”
The SNP leader said that she had told the prime minister that she would continue to examine every option possible to protect Scotland’s interests.
She said: “I’ve said previously that if we want to protect our relationship with the European Union then Scotland may have to consider becoming an independent member. If it proves not to be possible to fully protect Scotland’s interests through the UK process then the prime minister knows that a second independence referendum is of course on the table.
“However, I’ve also been consistently clear that I want to examine all options for protecting Scotland’s position, protecting our interests, protecting our relationship with the EU. That’s why I’ve assembled a team of experts that will advise me on the options that might exist, and it was very important today to get a commitment from the prime minister to listen to options that the Scottish government will bring forward.”
But May’s official spokeswoman insisted that the prime minister believed the issue of Scottish independence had now been settled.
Before the meeting, she said: “It will be an opportunity to discuss how they are going to work together. An opportunity for the prime minister to underline to the first minister that she does want to make sure the UK government fully engages with the Scottish government on discussions around leaving the European Union.
“And with regard to a second referendum, the prime minister’s view is that we have already had a referendum. It was legal, and fair, and the result was decisive.”
After meeting Sturgeon, May went on to attend a Conservative party event where she was introduced by Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Tories, who was a strong supporter of May’s candidacy for leadership of the Westminster party.
