PMQs: Robertson tells May '˜Scotland will have indyref2'

The SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson has told the Prime Minister that Scotland 'will have a referendum' if she does not reach an agreement with the Scottish Government on keeping the UK in the European single market after Brexit.

At Prime Minister's Questions Angus Robertson clashed with Theresa May on the issue of Brexit. Picture: John Devlin

In noisy exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions, Theresa May said she would not allow “constitutional game playing” to “break the deep bonds of our shared history and future together”.

Mr Robertson claimed that following her arrival in Downing Street, Mrs May had “promised to secure a UK wide approach, an agreement, between the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the UK government before triggering article 50. So when will the Prime Minister announce the details of the agreement?”

The Prime Minister said that Article 50 would be triggered by the end of the month, starting the formal exit process from the EU. “There will be an opportunity for further discussions with the devolved administrations over that period.

“But when the honourable gentleman looks at the issue of membership of the European union, and his view of Scotland not being a member of the United Kingdom, he is comparing membership of an organisation that we’ve been a member of for 40 years with our country.

“We have been one country for over 300 years. We have fought together, we have worked together, we have achieved together, and constitutional game playing must not be allowed to break the deep bonds of our shared history and our future together.”

To barracking from finger-waving Tory back benchers, Mr Robertson told Mrs May that she could “wag her finger as much as she likes”, adding: “Last year she made a promise. She promised an agreement. I asked her about it yesterday. She didn’t answer. I asked her about it now. She hasn’t answered.

“When will she reach an agreement - not discussions - an agreement with the Scottish government before triggering article 50?”

He went on: “Does she not understand that if she does not secure an agreement before triggering Article 50, if she is not prepared to negotiate on behalf of the Scottish government to secure membership of the single European market, people in Scotland will have a referendum, and we will have our say.”