Holyrood can't block Brexit, admits Alex Salmond
![Alex Salmond has said that Westminster can override a Scots veto. Picture: PA](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/legacy_elm_47068969.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Alex Salmond has said that Westminster can override a Scots veto. Picture: PA](/img/placeholder.png)
The First Minister indicated at the weekend that Holyrood could withold consent from aspects of Brexit affecting Scotland prompting speculation that this could jeopardise a UK withdrawal. Ms Sturgeon even admitted this could provoke “fury” in England.
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Hide AdBut Mr Salmond told BBC Radio Scotland today: “What Nicola said is the Scottish Parliament would likely withold legislative consent and legislative consent is necessary.
“But Nicola knows full well that legislative consent is not a veto and the words veto never passed her lips, because of course, I think clause 28 of the Scotland Act says Westminster has an override.
“So the Scottish Parliament can block but Westminster can override.”
He said MSPs from Scotland - where in “every single local authority area last Thursday, the people voted to Remain part of Europe” - cannot be expected to give consent.
But Mr Salmond added: “The Scotland Act is quite clear there’s a Westminster override.
“It’s not a veto but Nicola is quite corect to say that you can withold legislative consent.”
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