Nicola Sturgeon 'never claimed to have veto on Brexit process or Article 50', says spokesperson

'We have never claimed to have had a veto – either on the overall Brexit process or on the timing of Article 50 being triggered'

Britain’s new Prime Minister Theresa May meets with First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon at Bute House in Edinburgh, today (AP)

Nicola Sturgeon has never claimed she had a veto over Brexit but will call for a second independence referendum if Scotland’s place in the EU is not maintained, her spokesman has said.

It comes after the First Minister said Scotland is in “a strong position” when asked on Sunday whether she had the ability to block Britain’s exit from the European Union, in the wake of comments made by Theresa May after the pair met in Edinburgh.

“We have never claimed to have had a veto – either on the overall Brexit process or on the timing of Article 50 being triggered,” a spokesperson for the First Minister told The Independent.

“The First Minister has made it absolutely clear that we are intent on pursuing all options to maintain Scotland’s place in the EU, and if it becomes clear that the best of only way of doing that is as an independent member state then the option of an independence referendum must be on the table.”

A Downing Street source made clear that Ms May “obviously” didn’t reference a veto on Friday when she said: “I am very clear that I want the Scottish Government to be fully involved and I want to get the best possible deal for the whole of the United Kingdom.”

“I’ve been very clear with the First Minister today that I want the Scottish Government to be fully engaged in our discussions, in our considerations, and I will listen to any options they bring forward.”

Asked by the BBC’s Andrew Marr whether this meant Scotland had now effectively been given a veto on the UK leaving the EU, Scottish First Minister Ms Sturgeon said: “That appears to be an interpretation that some people but on the Prime Minister’s remarks. Certainly from what she said after the meeting that puts us in a very strong position.

“It puts me in a strong position, of course it puts a responsibility on my shoulders to think through what the options are.”

Ms Sturgeon has consistently said she will not allow the UK to take Scotland out of the EU against its wishes, the country having voted overwhelmingly to remain during last month’s referendum.

“We are in uncharted territory and when you are in uncharted territory with basically a blank sheet of paper in front of you, you have an opportunity to think things that might have previously been unthinkable,” she added.

“Scotland did not vote for any of those consequences. We voted by a significant margin to avoid those consequences and stay in. That gives me a mandate to try to protect our relationship with the EU. If that is not possible within the UK well then I have been very clear that the option of a second independence referendum has to be on the table.”

“There are opportunities,” she added. “Things have changed fundamentally. There is a mood there and what I encountered in Brussels was a warmth, an openness and a great sympathy to the position that Scotland finds itself in.

“Nobody was saying to me, and I certainly wasn’t assuming, that it would be easy and there are significant challenges along the way. But there was a certain openness that the Scottish government has not found previously in Brussels."