Nicola Sturgeon ‘increasingly alarmed’ by talk of no deal Brexit

Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford called on whoever replaces Theresa May as prime minister to “change course and rule out” a no deal Brexit, which they warned would significantly damage the economy.

The SNP leader will raise her concerns when she meets David Lidington, the de facto deputy prime minister, ahead of today’s British-Irish Council (BIC) summit.

In a joint statement, the Scottish and Welsh leaders said: “We are becoming increasingly alarmed by the increase in hard-line rhetoric about a no deal Brexit and a debate focussed on policy proposals for leaving the EU which have no basis in reality.

Nicola Sturgeon has called on the next Tory leader to rule out a no deal Brexit

“Severe economic damage is already being done as a result of Brexit uncertainty impacting economic opportunities as companies will be making decisions on their future on long-term competitiveness - as workers at British Steel, Ford, Honda, and elsewhere can witness.

“We believe leaving the EU without a deal would be disastrous for the economies within these islands and for the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people.”

The statement continued: “A ‘no deal’ Brexit would deeply damage the reputation of the UK as a reliable international partner and undermine the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process on the island of Ireland.

“The next Prime Minister must pull back from the brink of a ‘no deal’ Brexit and be honest with the public. If they continue on their current path, the UK looks increasingly likely to crash-out of the EU in just four months’ time.

“The EU will not simply cave in to demands to re-open the Withdrawal Agreement, and claims that we could both leave without a deal and still benefit from tariff-free trade with the EU have been disproved.

“The new Prime Minister must change course and rule out ‘no deal’ under any circumstances.