FORMER First Minister Henry McLeish has called on the devolved governments in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to try to “derail” Brexit.
McLeish said Nicola Sturgeon should "should seize every opportunity" to obstruct and delay legislation such as the UK Government's EU repeal bill.
He said politicians in the parliaments and assemblies in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff could take advantage of the complex legislation to challenge the Brexit process.
McLeish, who was Labour First Minister from 2000 to 2001, said the legislatures would ultimately be unable to block Westminster's Brexit legislation.
However, he said that the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly in particular, where the electorates voted against Brexit, could increasingly mobilise public opinion against leaving the EU.
He said: "We are in the middle of another historic period in Scottish and British history with Brexit, which is an act of national self-harm. A catastrophic set of consequences lie ahead, but thankfully public opinion is now changing.
"The Tory government's handling of this is a shambles and there is every reason why the devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast should seek to derail the legislation. They can do this by encouraging people and raising awareness.
"Westminster on its own may have the ultimate power, but that shouldn't dissuade other parliaments in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff from working with progressive forces to derail the legislation."
He added: "The First Minister should seize every opportunity to derail this legislation by taking advantage of the complex legalities. They should not be fobbed off by Westminster on this.
"It would be folly to allow the cheap patriots on the extreme right of the Conservative party to dictate Britain's future."
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