Gina Miller has warned she thinks Scotland will vote for independence if the Theresa May continues seeking a “hard” Brexit.
The lawyer, who was behind a successful landmark legal case that ruled Parliament had to approve the triggering of Article 50, said it would be “very difficult” to see a United Kingdom that did not include Scotland.
But she predicted Scots would vote for independence because of the type of Brexit the prime minister was pursuing.
“Economically, it would be so difficult for Scotland to leave for all sorts of reasons,” she told the Advertising Week conference on Tuesday.
“To re-join the EU would also be a very difficult thing - they couldn’t just stay in, they’d actually have to rejoin.”
“I think it would be very difficult to see Britain without Scotland but I don’t think it’s impossible, because of the way we’re going into the negotiations.
“If we really stick with this hard line then I think Scotland will say we don’t want to be part of this.”
The prospect of a second Scottish independence loomed as Miller spoke, as Members of the Scottish Parliament debated holding a fresh poll.
Nicola Sturgeon announced she was wanted to hold ‘indyref 2’ just one week ago, blaming the British government’s lack of compromise over what type of Brexit the UK as a whole should aim for.
But May has rejected that demand, saying that “now is not the time” for a referendum on Scottish independence.
Miller voiced also surprise today that representatives for the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland “weren’t given more time to argue their case” in the Supreme Court Brexit case she led.
Lord Neuberger had said on day two of the hearing that none of the national assemblies had a legal right to be consulted by the UK government on triggering Brexit.