NICOLA Sturgeon has accused Ruth Davidson of being “inept” and ignoring the chaos created by her party after the High Court upended Theresa May’s timetable for Brexit.
The First Minister rounded on the Scottish Conservative leader at FMQs after she claimed the “biggest threat” to the Scottish economy was a second independence referendum.
Ms Davidson said “constitutional uncertainty” over a second vote was putting economic growth at risk, and hence the tax revenues needed to fund public services.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon to step up demand for 'soft Brexit' for all of UK
The claim came just two hours after the High Court ruled the UK government cannot trigger the Article 50 withdrawal process without Westminster approval, potentially derailing the Prime Minister's plan to get Brexit underway next March.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Today of all days, the fact that she [Ms Davidson] can stand up and talk about constitutional uncertainty beggars belief, to be frank.
“This is the day her party’s position has just been overturned in the courts.
“The court has said that the Conservative Party’s intention to trigger Article 50 without a vote in parliament is illegal.”
She said her Scottish Government’s job was “to do everything that we can to prevent the party that Ruth Davidson is a member of from dragging Scotland out of the European Union against our will. That is the biggest risk to our economy and that is what Ruth Davidson needs to wake up to.”
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon to step up demand for 'soft Brexit' for all of UK
Later, Tory business spokesman Dean Lockhart claimed the SNP’s “fundamental confusion” over which the currency an independent Scotland would use was “creating significantly more uncertainty for the financial sector than Brexit is”.
Ms Sturgeon said: “For a Tory to lead with the chin on currency right now is almost as inept as Ruth Davidson standing up and talking about constitutional uncertainty on the day that her own Government has been overruled in the courts on the triggering of Article 50.
“I want to keep Scotland’s economy, including our financial services sector, in the single market. I am seeking to try to find a way to do that, and for the life of me I cannot understand why the Conservatives, who before the referendum expressed support for the single market, find it so hard to support us in doing that now.”
Scottish Labour’s Europe Spokesperson Lewis Macdonald said: “Theresa May must put her negotiating objectives in front of Parliament as soon as possible, and respect both the judgement of the court and the vital role of Parliament in a democratic country.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon to step up demand for 'soft Brexit' for all of UK
"If the Tories go ahead with their intended appeal, the Scottish Government should line up with those seeking to defend the right of MPs to hold Tory Ministers to account.
"We share the objective of the best possible deal for Scotland, and believe the best possible deal is for the whole UK to remain as close as possible to our European neighbours."
LibDem MP Alistair Carmichael said the UK government’s Brexit strategy was in tatters.
“This ruling shows that momentum is with us who wish to see another vote on the terms of Brexit and all parties like the SNP should join us to help protect the UK’s relationship with the EU. Although the British people voted for a departure they did not vote for a destination and it is vital that we give the people a vote on the final deal.”
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