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The former first minister of Scotland has heaped criticism on the U.K. prime minister just hours before the official triggering of the Brexit negotiations.
Alex Salmond, the former leader of the SNP (Scottish National Party) and now a U.K. lawmaker in Westminster, disagreed that it is time for Scotland to accept Brexit.
“We want to maintain our millennium long connection with Europe as a trading nation and that’s what we’ll do,” he told CNBC Wednesday.
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will invoke Article 50 Wednesday, which will begin a two-year negotiation process with the European Union over the future trading, political and security relationship between the U.K. and the EU.
Meanwhile, Scotland is seeking a second referendum on independence to be held in the next few years, but this is being blocked by the U.K. government.
Salmond criticized May, saying she has divided the country against her through “her own arrogance and insensitivity.”
“I mean it’s not just Scotland who are looking for a referendum: The Welsh are alienated, Northern Ireland’s in deadlock, England’s split down the middle,” he said.
“MPs (members of Parliament) are stalking out of committees because they don’t like the reality of which they’re staring into, and this is the time in which she has decided to invoke Article 50,” he added.
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‘Arrogant’ Theresa May has divided the UK against her, says Alex Salmond – CNBC