--- description: There could also be a second independence referendum title: SNP to Appeal to Brussels to Stay in E.U. in Event of Brexit image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05372e55a9ae387f/6988984a3c1639e01345db10/sturgeon-eu-scotland.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Scotland](/tag/scotland/) ## Scotland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Scottish Nationalists Will Appeal to Brussels if U.K. Votes to Leave E.U. by [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) ## Tara John Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 17, 2016 2:20 PM CUT  Nicola Sturgeon, gives her first key note speech as SNP party leader at the partys annual conference on November 15, 2014 in Perth, Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon, gives her first key note speech as SNP party leader at the partys annual conference on November 15, 2014 in Perth, Scotland.Jeff J Mitchell—Getty Images by [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) ## Tara John Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 17, 2016 2:20 PM CUT Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon says she will use “all options” to keep Scotland within the E.U. if Britain votes to leave the political bloc. According to the [_Times of_ London](http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/sturgeon-will-talk-to-brussels-about-staying-in-eu-if-britain-votes-leave-wwrs08rx2 "undefined"), Scottish National Party (SNP) [leader Sturgeon](http://time.com/4320684/snp-scottish-elections-win-nicola-sturgeon/?iid=sr-link4 "undefined") will go over the head of the British government if the country votes to leave the E.U. after the June 23 referendum. She will use her parliamentary mandate to negotiate directly with the E.U. to secure an agreement for Scotland to stay in the union. “I would expect the Scottish parliament to move quickly and, with the mandate given to it by the Scottish people, to negotiate its position within the EU and the single market which is vital for jobs and prosperity,” her predecessor Alex Salmond told the _Times_. “Whatever chaos — political or constitutional — envelopes Westminster, I anticipate the first minister will lead Scotland in that direction.” An SNP spokesman also confirmed that [a second independence referendum](http://time.com/4244458/brexit-european-vote-uk/ "undefined") would be held “in the circumstances that Scotland is taken out of the E.U. against our will. “ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4372935/nicola-sturgeon-snp-eu-referendum-scotland/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4372935/nicola-sturgeon-snp-eu-referendum-scotland/"},"headline":"Scottish Nationalists Will Appeal to Brussels if U.K. Votes to Leave E.U.","datePublished":"2016-06-17T14:20:37.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T22:40:48.632Z","description":"There could also be a second independence referendum","url":"https://time.com/4372935/nicola-sturgeon-snp-eu-referendum-scotland/","keywords":["Scotland","Scotland topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05372e55a9ae387f/6988984a3c1639e01345db10/sturgeon-eu-scotland.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tara John","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tara-john/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05372e55a9ae387f/6988984a3c1639e01345db10/sturgeon-eu-scotland.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Nicola Sturgeon, gives her first key note speech as SNP party leader at the partys annual conference on November 15, 2014 in Perth, Scotland.","caption":"Nicola Sturgeon, gives her first key note speech as SNP party leader at the partys annual conference on November 15, 2014 in Perth, Scotland.","creditText":"Jeff J Mitchell—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/scotland/","name":"Scotland"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4372935/nicola-sturgeon-snp-eu-referendum-scotland/","name":"Scottish Nationalists Will Appeal to Brussels if U.K. Votes to Leave E.U."}}]}] ```