Scotland Cannot Veto Brexit Says Country's Top Legal Official

Attorney General Jeremy Wright dismissed the possibility that Scotland's vote to remain in the European Union could override Britain’s desire to exit and stressed that the whole of the United Kingdom will be taken out of the political-economic union.

Scottish First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Nicola Sturgeon had previously suggested that Scotland could remain both part of the UK and the EU. But the country's top lawyer accentuated during a question session at Westminster that Holyrood does not have a veto over Brexit and that "all of the UK" would have to leave.

When asked whether he agrees that sovereignty of the Scottish people who have spoken should be respected, Mr. Wright said that Scotland cannot decide for all the British. It is necessary to respect the decision that the people of the UK have made, he said, and the decision is to leave the EU.

"The people of the United Kingdom have spoken and their sovereignty must be respected." He asserted.

Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss noted that the Prime Minister has indicated she will not trigger Article 50, the formal mechanism for leaving the EU, until there is a concensus approach to Brexit. Attorney General agreed that all parts of the UK, including the governments of the devolved administrations, should be able to take part in developing the UK's approach to the negotiations.

"But this does not mean that any of the parts of the UK have a veto over this process — so consultation most certainly, but veto I'm afraid not." He stressed.

Tory MP David Nuttall (Bury North) voiced concerns that the UK could end up being "held to ransom" by Scottish nationalists who "will never be satisfied" no matter what the government does.

"I think the prime minister has been clear that the United Kingdom will leave the European Union, and that means all of the United Kingdom." Attorney General replied, adding that it is important that all parts of the UK have an opportunity to contribute to the negotiations.

On June 23, a referendum was held in the United Kingdom, in which 51.9 percent of voters supported a withdrawal from the European Union. The Scottish National Party, is pressing for a deal that would see Scotland remain part of the EU after 62 percent of Scottish voters backed remaining in the bloc in the Brexit referendum.

In June, Sturgeon pledged to secure a special status for Scotland in relation to the European Union after the Brexit referendum.

Scottish voters took part in an independence referendum in September 2014 that saw 55 percent of voters backing Scotland's continued membership of the United Kingdom which was formalized in 1707.