Holyrood to hold emergency debate on EU

Nicola Sturgeon is to ask Holyrood to formally back her efforts to protect Scotland's place in the EU in the aftermath of the Brexit.

In an emergency Scottish Parliament debate today she will call on MSPs to support talks with officials from the UK, EU and other member states.

Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish Greens have already said they will fully back Ms Sturgeon's motion.

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However, it is understood the Scottish Conservatives will attempt to amend it.

Sturgeon has said it would be "democratically unacceptable" for Scotland to face the prospect of being taken out of the European Union against the wishes of its people.

And she has said a second referendum on Scottish independence is now "highly likely" after Scots voted overwhelmingly to remain, but were outvoted by the UK as a whole.

Meanwhile, Scotland's Farming minister Fergus Ewing told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that a second independence vote could be the only way to stop Scotland leaving the EU.

He said: "We are paving the way for it and we are paving the way so that we are able to have that referendum within the period of the negotiations - the 'terminus a quo' of the two years - we do not know, but we are paving the way so that we can have that because that could be the only mechanism that exists in order to prevent being forced out of the EU against our will."

Scotland voted by 62 per cent to 38 per cent in favour of remaining in the EU in last week's referendum, but the UK as a whole voted to leave.

The first minister described today's debate on the result as being one of the most important in the history of the Scottish Parliament.

She added: "I am determined to explore every avenue to retain Scotland's EU status and today's parliamentary debate is a vital part of that process.

"I am specifically asking parliament to strengthen my hand by giving me a mandate to pursue discussions about protecting Scotland's place in the EU with the UK government, other devolved administrations, EU institutions and member states.

"It is now crucial that our national parliament speaks with as strong and united a voice as possible on this issue."