No-deal Brexit will lead to Scottish independence, predicts ex-Catalan leader

The exiled former President of Catalonia has said that he believes Scotland will break away from the rest of the UK should the country crash out of the European Union without a deal.

Carles Puigdemont. Picture; Getty

Carles Puigdemont told an audience in Traquair in the Borders that he agreed with the assessment of former European Council President Herman van Rompuy, who called a no-deal Brexit an ‘existential threat’ to the UK.

Mr Puidgement said: It is a matter of fact that the pro-European commitment in Scotland is strong, and an independent Scotland would be a full member of the European Union.”

He added: “I don’t see any problem with an independent Scotland being a member of the EU.”

Nicola Sturgeon has warned of the consequences for Scotland if the UK was to fail to secure a deal on its departure from the EU.

Last week, Mr van Rompuy said: “The no-deal issue is not just a problem for the UK or Brussels, it is also an existential threat to the UK itself.

“One can imagine that a no deal will have a big impact and cause concern in some of the regions. Speaking of Scotland, it could have consequences for them and others.”

Mr Puidgemont has been exiled from his native Catalonia after declaring independence from Spain following a highly disputed referendum that the Government in Madrid declared illegal.