Black: Theresa May is ignoring the ‘family of nations’ by pursuing Brexit

The MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South said that May’s narrative that it was her deal or a no deal Brexit was a ‘piece of nonsense’ and said that the prime minister had a number of other options available if she chose to look at them.

She called the Withdrawal Agreement an ‘appalling deal for my constituents’, and said May’s approach had ignored the interests of Scotland.

Black began her speech in the Commons debate on the Brexit deal by saying she wanted to explain her ‘views on this madness as bluntly and simply as possible’.

‘Since long before the ink had even dried on the text, the prime minister has been trying to create this narrative that it’s a choice between her deal and no deal,’ she said.

‘But the prime minister clearly has options beyond her deal and no deal, she could ask for an extension of Article 50, she could keep us in the single market and customs union, or she could take the choice back to the people.

‘So to say it’s her deal or no deal is a piece of nonsense. And what she’s failing to say to the public is that she’s deliberately manufactured things to appear that way, in a cynical attempt to save her own skin.’

The Scottish nationalist said after the 2014 independence referendum her party was promised to be treated as part of the UK’s ‘family of nations’.

‘But when Scotland votes to remain in the EU it is cast as irrelevant, Scotland is treated as a region,’ she said.

Claiming the Holyrood government’s ‘sensible suggestions’ were dismissed, she added that ‘if unionist members truly believe that Scotland should be subject to an English and Welsh EU result, then they concede that we are not a family of nations and that to Westminster, Scotland is no better than a province’.