Nicola Sturgeon '˜frustrated' after Theresa May Brexit talks

Nicola Sturgeon leaves Downing Street with her Brexit minister Michael Russell after meeting Theresa May. Picture: PA

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Talks between the UK government and devolved administrations have highlighted deep divides over Brexit as Nicola Sturgeon emerged from Downing Street voicing frustration at a lack of progress.

Leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said they had been left “no clearer” about how the Theresa May will take Britain out of the EU despite two hours of discussions in Number 10.

Ms Sturgeon said there had been a “frank exchange of views”, with the Prime Minister repeatedly told she did not have a mandate for a hard Brexit. The Scottish First Minister also restated her threat to call a second independence referendum in response to the proposed settlement with the EU, insisting she was not “bluffing or game-playing”.

“I don’t mind admitting large parts of the meeting were deeply frustrating,” Ms Sturgeon said outside Number 10.

Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon at a previous meeting. Picture: PA

“I don’t know any more now about the UK government’s approach to the EU negotiations than I did before I went in to the meeting.

“I can’t speak for the other devolved administrations but I think there was a degree of frustration shared by all of us about that.”

The First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones warned that “time is not on our side” to bridge the gap between devolved administrations and the UK government before Article 50 is triggered at the end of March, starting the two-year countdown to the country’s exit from the EU.

Ms Sturgeon arrived in London with two of her key demands – that Scotland be given new powers over immigration and international trade – already having been dismissed by Conservative ministers.

As talks began, the First Minister was also warned not to “undermine” the UK’s Brexit negotiating position by pursuing her own agenda on Europe.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “We expect representatives of the devolved administrations to act in that way and to in no way undermine the UK’s position.”

Ms Sturgeon dismissed the comments as “nonsense”, adding: “To be brutally frank about it, you can’t undermine something that doesn’t exist, and from everything I have heard today in Downing Street there isn’t yet a UK government negotiating position.”