Brexit will cause the UK to 'split apart', Spanish government warns

Foreign minister Josep Borrell warns of underlying 'weakness' of UK union

The United Kingdom will “split apart” because of the pressures of Brexit, Spain’s foreign minister has warned.

In an interview on Tuesday Josep Borrell said he believed there was an underlying “weakness” to the union underpinning the United Kingdom.

Contrasting British separatist movements in Scotland and Ireland with Spain’s own in Catalonia, Mr Borrell told the Politico news website:

“I am very much more worried about the unity of the United Kingdom than the unity of the Kingdom of Spain. I think the UK will split apart sooner than the kingdom of Spain.”

Asked to elaborate, the social democrat politician added: “It is a clear sign of UK weakness.”

Brexit has raised both hopes and fears of a united Ireland and independent Scotland.

In Ireland, the border issue that has dominated negotiations for months has raised questions about the viability of the Good Friday Agreement and the status of Northern Ireland. Various Conservatives had claimed EU customs proposals amount to an "annexation" of Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile in Scotland, nationalists have sought to draw a dividing line with the rest of the UK by emphasising Scotland’s vote to remain in the EU compared to the rest of the UK.

In the same interview Mr Borrell also hinted that Spain would have no problem with an independent Scotland, and would not seek to block it from joining the EU, as long as it left the UK through legal means.

“If they leave Britain in accordance with their internal regulation, if Westminster agrees, we are not going to be more papist than the pope! If Westminster agrees why would we be against it,” he told the website.

But he also ruled out a legally binding independence referendum in Catalonia, suggesting the province should instead expect a renewed devolution settlement and additional powers.

Mr Borrell also said a second referendum for the British public on whether to leave the EU would not be "very democratic" unless there was "a really big demand" – noting that the EU has a "record" in Ireland and the Netherlands of asking people to vote again in key issues "until you say what you should say".

He appeared to take a different stance to his prime minister Pedro Sanchez, who last month suggested a second vote would be a good idea.

The comments by the foreign minister come a day after Spain threw a spanner in the works of Brexit talks, warning that it would reject the negotiated withdrawal agreement if it was not given concessions on Gibraltar.