Nicola Sturgeon has warned of a “lost decade” of economic and social turmoil across the UK as she urged Scotland to think of “better alternatives” to Brexit.
The First Minister told MSPs that the breakaway from the EU is likely to bring at least 10 years of “deep and severe” damage to the UK economy and society.
She also said as part of her efforts to protect Scotland’s place in the bloc she would “keep a very close eye” on legal challenges that might pave the way for a Holyrood veto.
Giving evidence to a Holyrood committee today, she said: “We haven’t even started this process (of Brexit) yet and that potential for a lost decade for the UK should make us all sit up and take notice.
“And in Scotland it should make us think very carefully about whether there are better alternatives to just accepting that we have to be part of that.”
She said the damage Brexit will do to “our economy and other areas of society and life will be deep and severe”.
Ms Sturgeon said she is keeping tabs on court actions brought in England and Northern Ireland, which centre around whether the triggering of Article 50, the mechanism for the leaving EU, requires approval in the Commons.
That raises the prospect of the Scottish Parliament having to give its backing through a legislative consent motion (LCM), which is required where Westminster law-making encroaches into devolved powers held by Holyrood.
“I have to say the Scottish Government is keeping a very close eye on these court actions and will assess as they proceed at all stages whether there is an argument for us to become directly involved to make sure that the interests of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament are protected,” Ms Sturgeon said.
“If that was to be the case that there was a decision – and I’m speculating now – that Parliament had to pass legislation, that brings the issue of an LCM into sharp focus.”
The SNP leader has repeatedly said that independence is there to be pursued if it is judged to be the best or only way to protect Scotland’s place in the EU.
Ross Greer, the Green MSP, said that if a free movement guarantee could not be given by the Conservative government, then Scotland “must urgently consider seeking its own, independent EU membership”.
Meanwhile, Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservatives leader, called for the destabilising threat of indyref2 to be taken off the table ahead of the September 18 anniversary this weekend.
“Using the result of the EU referendum to revive a second referendum isn’t the right course for Scotland,” she said.