'You'd LOSE' Kay Burley OBLITERATES Alex Salmond on threat to call independence referendum
KAY BURLEY ripped into Alex Salmond after he warned of a second Scottish independence referendum if Theresa May failed to compromise with the SNP over Brexit.
Speaking on Sky News, the former First Minister spoke of the compromise proposals set out by Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon before Christmas, urging the Government to remain members of the single market.
After the Prime Minister’s landmark speech on Monday confirming the UK would seek to leave the trading bloc, the Gordon MP said a second referendum on Scottish independence would become “overwhelmingly likely” if Mrs May refused to give Scotland a “special deal”.
He asked: “There’s special deals and accommodations all over the place, why shouldn’t there be one for Scotland?”
But the news anchor offered a brutal response and said: “Because if you held a second referendum, there isn’t an appetite for it in Scotland and you’d lose.”
Defiant SNP refuses to accept May's Brexit plan
Because if you held a second referendum, there isn’t an appetite for it in Scotland and you’d lose
Mr Salmond then attempted to justify his calls by suggesting support for a referendum was higher than it had been the first time around.
“Well, put it this way, when I called the first referendum in Scotland, support for independence was at 28 per cent,” he said. “In the referendum campaign itself, it ended up at 45 per cent. 16 out of 17 polls since the Euro referendum have shown support higher than 45 per cent.
“So if I didn’t have any compulsion calling a referendum at 28 per cent support for independence, believe me, Nicola Sturgeon – if the compromise proposal is not accepted by the UK Government – will have no compulsion calling a referendum at 45 per cent.
“If the gauntlet is thrown down, Nicola Sturgeon will pick it up.”
The two clashed once more over whether Mr Salmond would be happy to join the Euro.
“Well, can I say one word to you – Sweden,” said the SNP politician before being interrupted by Burley.
She blasted: “Yeah but you know that the European Union Commission is saying on its website that you have to join the Euro if you want to be a new member state – that’s what it says.
“Unless your economy is a basket case and then they won’t want you, which one is it?”
Mr Salmond dismissed the claims and insisted there was no compulsion to join the Euro, suggesting it could “inherit” the UK’s opt-outs.