Theresa May suffered a historic defeat over her Brexit deal on Tuesday, and Scottish politicians were quick to make their feelings known on Twitter.
The Prime Minister experienced the worst defeat in parliamentary history after MPs overwhelmingly rejected her two-year bid to secure a Brexit deal.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted just minutes after it was announced that the government had lost the vote:
Historic defeat for the PM and it has been obvious for months that it was coming. Enough time has been wasted. It is time to stop the Article 50 clock and put this issue back to electorate. Scotland voted to remain in the EU and we should not be dragged out against our will.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) January 15, 2019
She has since stated that a second EU referendum is the "only credible option" to avoid damage to both the economy and prospects of future generations.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard tweeted the Tories had "failed miserably" and called for a general election:
The Tories have failed miserably on Brexit and it is no surprise Theresa May’s deal has been rejected by such a massive margin.
— Richard Leonard (@LabourRichard) January 15, 2019
We need a General Election and a Labour government to break the deadlock and end austerity.
Interim leader for the Scottish Conservatives Jackson Carlaw commended the actions of Theresa May, and said: "This is not the time to walk away, it is the time to work harder so that we can find a way forward over the coming days."
Those MPs who opposed the deal this evening should now set out, quite specifically, how their own alternatives might work, how they would respect the referendum, and how they will secure a majority in parliament.
— Jackson Carlaw MSP (@Carlaw4Eastwood) January 15, 2019
Full reaction below 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/rcEIKeMx26
Patrick Harvie of the Scottish Greens called Theresa May's government arrogant and incompetent:
It's a sign of the extraordinary arrogance and incompetence of May's government that tonight there is no clearer plan for what will happen than they had two and half years ago. There is simply no way that the current 10 week timetable can be stuck to. #PeoplesVote #StopBrexit 🇪🇺
— Patrick Harvie 🇪🇺 (@patrickharvie) January 15, 2019
Conservative MP Ross Thomson admitted he voted against the Withdrawal Agreement, and said that last night's result paved the way for a better deal:
Tonight the House of Commons has overwhelmingly sent the strongest possible message to the EU that their deal, particularly the Northern Irish backstop, is unacceptable. The hand of the PM has been strengthened. There is now a pathway to a #BetterDeal https://t.co/qQsrAt091v
— 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙋 (@RossThomson_MP) January 15, 2019
Willie Rennie took to social media just minutes after the announcement:
The #PeoplesVote is one giant step closer. #BrexitShambles
— Willie Rennie (@willie_rennie) January 15, 2019
The Prime Minister's loss also made front pages worldwide.
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