Theresa May has accused Nicola Sturgeon’s government of having “tunnel vision” over independence but refused to offer Scotland any specific new powers following Brexit.

The prime minister told the BBC the Scottish government had been neglecting domestic policies and had allowed education to drift, by sinking its energies into becoming an independent country.

“I can’t help but feel that the Scottish National party has a tunnel vision about independence,” she said, in an interview before her keynote speech to the Scottish Conservatives’ annual conference in Glasgow on Friday.

“I think what people want is for the SNP government to get on with dealing with the issues they want to see addressed on a day-to-day basis. Issues like the state of the economy, reforming schools – education used to be such a great flagship for Scotland, but sadly in recent years we have seen that deteriorating.”

Sturgeon has tried to force May’s government in London into a series of concessions by insisting that unless Scotland is allowed special access to the single market and substantial new powers after Brexit, she will call for a second independence referendum.

In an effort to instill a sense of urgency, Sturgeon again warned this week she was likely to decide to call that referendum when May triggers article 50 later this month, describing it as “legitimate, almost necessary”.



May showed no signs in her BBC interview of being swayed. The prime minister first signalled she would take a hard line on the referendum by refusing to confirm whether or not she would grant Holyrood the legal powers to stage a second vote.

Insisting that the most important single market for Scotland was the UK’s internal market, she said the “question is not whether there could be a referendum, but whether there should be a referendum”. With a series of opinion polls showing only about 35% of Scottish voters wanted a referendum before Brexit, May claimed it was “very clear” voters were against the proposal.

She then cast further doubt on whether Scotland would enjoy a substantial Brexit dividend after the UK takes over significant policy and spending powers currently controlled by the European Union.

Sturgeon is adamant that under the devolution settlement, where Scotland controls domestic fisheries and agricultural policy and spending, Holyrood should automatically take on all the EU’s current powers over fishing quotas in Scottish waters and farm spending.

May endorsed a promise in the UK government’s white paper that no powers currently held by Holyrood would be taken away, but then added only the suggestion that Scotland “could” gain additional powers – wording likely to deepen Sturgeon’s anger.

May confirmed there was no prospect of Scotland having special or separate access to the European single market. But she rejected repeated charges from Sturgeon this week that the UK government was ignoring her demands for new powers – and in fact plotting to reduce Scotland’s control over farming and fisheries.

May said she was looking “very closely” at proposals in the Scottish government’s 60-page paper on Brexit. “We’ve been very clear we are not going to take powers from the Scottish parliament. What we do need to look at is are these powers which currently reside in Brussels, how should we deal with those?

“There will be some areas where we do need to ensure there is a UK framework to make sure that this very important single market of the United Kingdom, which matters so much to Scotland, is working properly.

“But what we are talking to all of the devolved administrations about is when we bring powers back from Brussels, what should stay at a UK level and what should be further devolved?”

Sturgeon fought back. Referring to Scotland’s 62% to 38% vote in favour of remaining in the EU, Sturgeon said the Tories had no mandate in Scotland.

“If the prime minister thinks she can come to Scotland and sermonise about where power should lie, in the manner of one of her Tory predecessors, she should remember this: her government has no mandate in Scotland, and no democratic basis to take us out of Europe and the single market against our will.

“But increasingly, this Tory government seems to think it can do what it wants to Scotland and get away with it.”