British Prime Minister Theresa May has refused to grant a seat to Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the Brexit negotiating table.
The prime minister said on Friday that the choice was “clear” over who will be finalizing Britain’s exit from the European Union.
"I will be negotiating as the prime minister of the United Kingdom,” May said as she was campaigning for June snap elections in Scotland on Friday.
Surgeon demanded "to get a seat at the negotiating table and argue for Scotland's place in the single market,” this week. May, however, ended almost all hopes for her to influence the negotiations.
May formerly promised to consult the Scottish government if re-elected.
“When these negotiations take place, they are going to take place between the United Kingdom, the 27 other countries in the European Union and the European Commission’s negotiator,” May said.
“We will continue to talk to and work with the Scottish government, as we do with the other devolved administrations,” she added.
Sturgeon claimed that the prime minister had “dismissed out of hand” her plan to allow Scotland to remain in the EU’s single market.
“What I am saying in this election is that we have an opportunity, by how we vote, to give those proposals democratic legitimacy," she added.
Her Scottish National Party (SNP) has called for a fresh vote on independence before Britain leaves the union, but May said that "now is not the time" for a second "divisive" referendum.
May took office last July, following the resignation of former Prime Minister David Cameron, who stepped down after his bid to keep the UK in the EU failed. The UK held a referendum on June 23, 2016, in which 52 percent of Britons voted in favor of Brexit. Scottish voters however overwhelmingly voted to remain a part of the bloc.
Last month, May called for snap general election to be held on 8 June, arguing that the country needed certainty, stability and strong leadership following last year’s referendum.
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