New Scots Tory MP admits she didn't vote in EU referendum

One of 12 new Scottish Conservative MPs returned at June's snap general election has admitted she did not vote in the 2016 EU referendum, despite predicting a Remain victory.

Kirstene Hairn won Angus for the Conservatives at June's snap election. Picture: Anne Johnston

Kirstene Hair, who overturned an 11,230 SNP majority to win the Angus constituency, said she had been content to go with “the will of the people” on Brexit.

The result of the referendum in June 2016 was a knife-edge, with 51.9 per cent of the participating UK electorate voting to leave the European Union.

The 28-year-old told The Courier: “I didn’t vote on Brexit.

“I took the decision not to vote on it. It was incredibly difficult. The first time I’ve never voted in my life.

“It was very difficult because you get two arguments very strong on both sides.

“I just ultimately couldn’t make that decision and I thought I would therefore go with the will of the UK which if I’m honest I thought we would remain.

“But I left that to everyone else.”

Since EU withdrawal was triggered, little progress has been made on key issues including the status of the Ireland-Northern Ireland border and the amount Britain must pay to settle its financial commitments to the bloc.