May orders Sturgeon NOT to ‘undermine’ Britain’s Brexit deal by putting Scotland first

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Sturgeon said she had found ‘large parts’ of the meeting ‘deeply frustrating’

The caution is an early shot in a war of words between the Prime Minister and the SNP leader as Sturgeon pushes for Scottish independence to bully the UK into remaining in the single market.

Each of the devolved ministers – Mrs Sturgeon, Carwyn Jones, Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness – has been warned not to “undermine” Britain’s position in negotiations.

But the Scottish First Minister hit back at May’s warning, saying: “I can’t undermine something that doesn’t exist.”

A spokesperson for Mrs May said: “We’re clear that a single UK position is vital to protect the UK’s interests as a whole.

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The caution is an early shot in a war of words between the Prime Minister and the SNP leader

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“We need to make sure that we are not putting up barriers to trade within the UK.

“We’ve been very clear that we should be working together to secure the best possible deal for the whole country.

“We expect representatives of the devolved administrations to act in that way and in no way undermine the UK’s position.”

But despite being offered a direct line to Brexit Minister David Davis, Sturgeon said she had found “large parts” of the meeting “deeply frustrating.”

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Sturgeon said ‘I can’t undermine something that doesn’t exist’

She said: “May is saying that she’s prepared to listen to options.

“We’re hearing the words but so far those words are not matched by substance or action and that’s what’s got to change over the next few weeks and months.

“I’m not prepared to simply stand back and watch Scotland driven off a hard Brexit cliff edge because the consequences in lost jobs, lost investment and lower living standards are too serious for that.”

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a leading Government think tank claimed Eurocrats would slap down any proposed “bespoke” Brexit deal

It comes after a leading Government think tank claimed Eurocrats would slap down any proposed “bespoke” Brexit deal allowing Scotland to cling onto its single market status.

Akash Paun, from the Institute for Government, told Newsnight: “I’ve not seen any credible, worked up proposal of how that would work.

“As far as I’m aware, there is no relevant precedent from anywhere else in the EU.

“What we have seen from some other member states is special, bespoke deals for particular territories, normally quite small, isolated islands.”