FILE PHOTO: Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks at the University of Edinburgh before signing the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 7, 2018. Jane Barlow/Pool via REUTERS

GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) - Scotland’s pro-independence First Minister said Britain’s impending departure from the European Union would damage the economy in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, and that she would not block another Brexit referendum.

“Brexit is a real and present danger to the Scottish and UK economy,” Sturgeon told a news conference to present figures on Scotland’s budget deficit, which is much larger than that for the United Kingdom as a whole.

Sturgeon said she would not stand in the way of another referendum on Brexit, which was opposed by most voters in Scotland. Prime Minister Theresa May has ruled out a second vote.

“The debate for Scotland over the period ahead is how do we best equip ourselves to support the best possible economic performance,” Sturgeon said.