MICHAEL Russell will make an emergency statement to MSPs today after the Supreme Court ruled their consent was not legally required to trigger Article 50.

Scotland’s Brexit minister will say the court made it clear that leaving the EU would alter Holyrood's powers - one of the textbook triggers for MSPs to vote on a legislative consent motion (LCM) under the Sewel convention.

However the ruling also said the convention - which says Westminster does not “normally” stray into devolved matters without Holyrood’s agreement - is unenforceable in law.

Read more: UK Government expected to publish Article 50 Bill tomorrow

Speaking after a meeting of the First Minister’s Standing Council on Europe yesterday, Mr Russell said the triggering of Article 50 would have “profound effects on devolved matters”.

The UK government had never sought before to change Holyrood’s powers unilaterally, and it “must not renege on that constitutional requirement” now, he said.

Repeating Nicola Sturgeon’s warning of a second independence referendum, he said: “Time is running out for the UK Government to show how it intends to respect Scotland’s interests.

“If it does not, the Scottish people will face a choice as to whether we continue down the damaging path of a hard Brexit, or choose a better way for Scotland.”

Ms Sturgeon has promised to bring forward an LCM regardless, daring the UK government to block or ignore it.

However the court ruling noted there was no direct precedent for such an LCM.

Read more: UK Government expected to publish Article 50 Bill tomorrow

It said legislation which changes “the competences of EU institutions and thereby affects devolved competences… has not been the subject of [LCMs] in any devolved legislature”.

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said the SNP had used the court case “to hold the UK to ransom”, and must now say if it wanted the forthcoming Brexit talks to succeed or fail.

She said: “Whatever side people were on last year, Scotland wants to get on with the negotiations so we can start to leave the uncertainty of the last few years behind us.

“We have all had enough of the Nationalists using every diversionary tactic they can to try to use Brexit to manufacture a case for separation.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said both the SNP and Tories were “casting about for an expedient political position rather than working in the national interest. Unity cannot be achieved by a politics that sees half the country constantly facing off against the other.”

Green co-convener Patrick Harvie said: “By recognising that Brexit will alter the powers of the Scottish Parliament, but deciding that MSPs will have no say, the Supreme Court has made it clear today that Scotland is not an equal partner in the UK.”

Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie said the ruling was a “huge opportunity” for Westminster to agree to his party’s idea of a referendum on the final deal to emerge from the Brexit talks.

Read more: UK Government expected to publish Article 50 Bill tomorrow

Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said firms were “increasingly tired of the legal and political machinations” around Brexit and wanted a focus “on the practical risks and opportunities for business and minimising market volatility”.

Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp, head of the pro-independence Business for Scotland group, said: “The economic case for the Union is unravelling, the First Minister would be well advised to let it unravel further before announcing Indyref2, although that still looks likely to be in 2018.”