EU referendum: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair says Brexit could lead to the break up of the UK
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned that if the United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union it could lead to the break up of the UK.
Speaking to the BBC, Blair said that there are implications for the UK if Brexit is realised, pointing to how a vote to leave would be likely to lead to calls for a second Scottish independence referendum vote.
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He said that the dynamic of the debate on Scottish independence would fundamentally change if the UK leaves the EU.
"The argument for Scottish independence with the UK in Europe is very weak. It's weak economically and frankly the Europeans at the present time would not accept a Scotland that had seceded from the UK. If the UK votes to leave Europe, the argument completely changes," he said.
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The former Prime Minister's comments come after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that there would "almost certainly" be demands from Scots for a second referendum if the UK as a whole votes for Brexit, but Scotland does not.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Guardian, Blair said that the case for UK staying in Europe is "overwhelming because leaving the largest commercial market in the world, the biggest single political union in the world right on our doorstep, in the 21st century would be a huge leap of uncertainty and difficulty".