Alex Salmond has admitted the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to block Brexit, and insisted that Nicola Sturgeon never suggested she had a veto.

The former first minister, who described his successor’s leadership since the EU vote as “inspiring”, said Westminster was able to override any move by Holyrood to deny “legislative consent”.

Ms Sturgeon said on Sunday that the Scottish Parliament could try to block the UK leaving the EU by using the obscure legal mechanism, even if it infuriated the English.

Legislative consent motions (LCMs) are passed by the devolved administrations to say they agree that Westminster can legislate on devolved matters.

According to a Lords briefing note, Scotland would have to agree to Brexit in order to remove European legislation from Scots law and Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Parliament had the option of not voting for something “that’s against Scotland’s interests”.

However, Mr Salmond said she knew “full well” that it was not a veto, adding: “The word veto never passed her lips, because Westminster has an override. So the Scottish Parliament can block but Westminster can then override.”

He told BBC Radio Scotland: “Now of course there are political implications for that. But the Scotland Act is quite clear, there is a Westminster override. It is not a veto but Nicola was correct to say it can withhold legislative consent.”