Nicola Sturgeon: An independent Scotland will rejoin the EU in stages through 'necessity'
NICOLA Sturgeon has admitted an independent Scotland may not immediately attempt to join the European Union.
Sturgeon: Scotland may phase approach to becoming EU member
The First Minister was forced to admit EU membership would not be an immediate move for an independent Scotland but that it could adopt a "phased" approach to joining the EU.
The Scottish minister said that by "necessity" Scotland would pursue membership of the European Free Trade Association and she added she still wanted Scotland to be a full EU member.
Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, Nicola Sturgeon said if Scotland does leave the UK then it may consider membership of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) before attempting to join the Brussels bloc.
The u-turn comes despite Ms Sturgeon making a huge display of meeting with EU chiefs in the aftermath of the historic EU referendum.
If Scotland is independent our position always has been, as long as I've been in the SNP and continues to be, that we want Scotland to be a full member of the European Union
It is believed the move comes following pressure from senior SNP members who think EFTA membership could be a more realistic goal.
She said: ”If Scotland is independent our position always has been, as long as I've been in the SNP and continues to be, that we want Scotland to be a full member of the European Union.”
400,000 voters backing Scottish independence voted in favour of leaving the EU.
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Ms Sturgeon said: “We have to set out, if we're in an independence referendum, and we're not in that right now, the process for regaining or retaining, depending on where we are in the Brexit process, EU membership.
“Now it may be that we have a phased approach to that by necessity."
Asked by Mr Marr if that means Scotland will go after EFTA membership ahead of the EU, she said: "It may be by necessity, even if we didn't want that.
"We have to set that out at the time because there are still some uncertainties, many uncertainties, around the Brexit process."
Once again the First Minister called for a second Scottish independence referendum after Brexit.
She said: “For me this is a question of, at the end of the Brexit process, does Scotland get a choice about our future.
“At the end of the Brexit process, I believe people in Scotland should have a choice over our future."