Nicola Sturgeon: '˜Brexit Bill not in our interests'

Nicola Sturgeon has made clear she will not do a deal to support key Brexit legislation unless further changes are made by the UK government.
The FM said it would not be in Scotlands national interest for Holyrood to give its consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill.
Picture: John Devlin.The FM said it would not be in Scotlands national interest for Holyrood to give its consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill.
Picture: John Devlin.
The FM said it would not be in Scotlands national interest for Holyrood to give its consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill. Picture: John Devlin.

The First Minister insisted that, as it stands, it would not be in Scotland’s “national interest” for Holyrood to give its ­consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Changes made by Westminster, including the introduction of a sunset clause limiting how long it could hold on to powers returning from Brussels, have secured the agreement of the Welsh Assembly to the bill.

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Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson called on Ms Sturgeon to follow suit, saying while all parties at Holyrood had expressed concerns about the impact the legislation would have on devolution, changes were being made.

“There is a deal to be done here, the Welsh back it, other parties in this chamber back it,” Ms Davidson said. “I say to her, for once will you do a deal in the national interest and not your nationalist interest.”

Ms Sturgeon said: “This deal is not in the national interest, that is why I won’t sign up to it.” She said the sunset clause would still allow the UK government to restrict Holyrood’s powers for up to seven years.