A no-deal Brexit is still looming at the end of the year. Ms. Nicola Sturgeon wants to hold another independence referendum - and lead Scotland back into the EU.

The Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon is sticking to her plans for Scotland to join the EU. After the independence referendum she is aiming for, she will quickly lead her nation into the European Union, Sturgeon told the world and other European media.

According to the latest polls, more than half of the Scots want independence. I am confident that the Scots will say yes in the next referendum, she stated.

An independent Scotland would then immediately apply for EU membership. In her view, Scotland has an unique opportunity for rapid accession to the EU. Scotland's accession is not an enlargement. After all, as part of the United Kingdom, Scotland had been a member for over 40 years. Scotland is coming home, this is not a new beginning, she emphasised.

Accession of Scotland to EU is not an enlargement but
return home. The country had been for over 40 years with Europe.

But Scotland needs the approval of Great Britain for the referendum. If Prime Minister Boris Johnson does not allow a referendum, one does not exclude the judicial process, said Sturgeon. If London refuses to approve, we have to see if the Scottish Parliament can pass the necessary legislation. This question has not yet arisen before the court, but I am not ruling it out. We cannot allow the British government to block democracy, Ms. Sturgeon stressed.

Inventories built due to the lockdowns

Before the threat of a no-deal Brexit at the end of the year, British warehouses have been full for weeks. Everything is full, said UK Warehousing Association head of logistics, Peter Ward. The stocks have been built up because of Brexit, he stated. Many companies - for example from the automotive sector - had been storing goods from Europe long before the end of the Brexit transition phase at the turn of the year.

The warehouses are so full as a result of the lockdowns, Mr. Ward said. During the partial lockdown in November, non-essential shops in England also had to close - their unsold goods continue to block a lot of storage space. In addition, around 300,000 square meters - around 2.5 percent of the total capacity - are filled with corona protective equipment such as masks or medical accessories.

Great Britain officially left the European Union at the end of January 2020. There is still a transition period until the end of the year, during which Great Britain still has to adhere to EU rules. So far the British government has refused to extend this phase. If no agreement is reached, there is a risk of an unregulated exit from the EU on December 31, 2020. This would result in tariffs and the trade barriers.