Indyref2: 'Pan-European' petition urges EU to change rules for independent Scotland

A new petition hosted on a Europe-wide campaigning website has called for European Union officials to allow Scotland to retain membership despite the UK pursuing Brexit.

The petition urges a rule change for the EU Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA

The petition, entitled ‘Let Scotland Stay’ is directed to Jean-Claude Juncker, who is President of the European Commission.

Nearly 10,000 people have now signed the petition, which urges the EU executive branch to alter their rules on new entrants, to allow an easier route into the Union for a newly independent Scotland.

The petition, hosted on campaigning website Wemove.EU, which says it does not necessarily endorse petitions hosted on the site.

The blurb for the petition states: “Scotland has been a part of the EU for over 40 years, and if the Scottish people decide to become an independent country, they should be able to remain in the EU.

“We’re demanding that you commit to changing the rules to make it easy for Scotland to keep its place in the Union. Let Scotland stay!”

In announcing that the UK Government had blocked Nicola Sturgeon’s nascent plans for a second vote on independence, Ruth Davidson accused the First Minister of pursuing a ‘deceit’ that Scotland could remain in the EU.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell went even further, saying bluntly: “Whether is part of the EU or as an independent country, Scotland is leaving the EU.”

The issue of Scotland’s EU membership was central to the arguments put forward by the No campaigning in 2014, and is expected to be an even bigger factor in a future referendum, since the UK is leaving the EU despite over 60 per cent of Scottish voters rejecting Brexit.

The petition is one of a number that have been launched since Nicola Sturgeon announced that she would seek the power to hold a vote on Scotland’s constitutional future before Spring 2019.

A petition entitled “Another Scottish independence referendum should not be allowed to happen” on the official parliamentary site has garnered 158,000 signatures, triggering a potential debate by MPs.

A counter-petition, urging the UK Government to allow the First Minister’s ‘section 30’ request has been signed by over 20,000 people since being started yesterday.