Loose Women: Nicola Sturgeon battles with Carol McGiffin about Brexit

Talking about her entry into politics at the age of 16, Sturgeon said that she had no idea she would come to be Scotland's First Minister: 

"When I was 16, Scotland didn't have a First Minister; we didn't have our own parliament."

Carol McGiffin asked her, "You're still trying to make massive changes, aren't you? It's no secret that you would love Scotland to be independent, and that's your main mission, isn't it?"

Sturgeon replied: "Yes. If you take what's happening right now, Scotland, we voted against Brexit and yet we face being ripped out of the European Union. 

Read More: New poll shows majority of Scots in favour of independence

"Independence - it's not a rejection of people in England, it's just about resetting that relationship so it's one of equals, where we can't be forced down paths we don't want to go down."

McGiffin challenged Sturgeon further, asking her "why are you so against Britain being independent of the EU? Because you want to stop Brexit but you want to be independent from the UK."

Sturgeon responded: 

“I think the two things are very different. 

“If you look at the European Union right now, every single member country in the EU is an independent country…look at Ireland, just now, a small country, but it’s got enormous clout in Europe. 

“Contrast that with the position Scotland’s in, we’re kind of being told we have to leave the EU no matter what we want.” 

Read more: 'I'll show you round': Nicola Sturgeon issues call to Boris

McGiffin then described the results of the Brexit as a 'national' decision, telling Sturgeon:

"You’re part of the country, though. You do have your own parliament where decisions are made but that decision was made by the public- it was a national referendum."

Sturgeon responded: "You're kind of making my point, the remainers won in Scotland."

McGiffin continued to compare the results of the EU referendum in Scotland to that of London, which also voted to remain, asking: 

"They won in London too, what does that mean?"

Sturgeon replied reminding McGiffin that London was a city and Scotland was a country:

"I'm a great fan of the great city of London that we’re in just now, but its not a country in the way that Scotland is. You kind of make my point: if the argument for Scotland remaining within the current system is ‘you just have to accept being outvoted all the time’..."

Read More: Boris Johnson: No reason for Scotland to hold second independence vote

Sturgeon was interrupted by another panellist who wished to 'move away from politics' to ask how Sturgeon managed to de-stress from politics - or who it was that de-stresses her. 

Among the topics discussed were the calls for more women to be involved in politics, Miley Cyrus's separation from husband Liam Hemsworth, and current Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 

In the discussion about Boris Johnson, Sturgeon questioned McGiffin's description of Johnson as 'polite'. 

Sturgeon said that Johnson "just talks nonsense, but he has that swagger, confidence and conviction. But, actually, despite the confidence, he is still talking nonsense behind it."

McGiffin challenged Sturgeon again, telling Sturgeon, "maybe he thinks you talk nonsense" to which Sturgeon replied, "I'm sure that he does". 

McGiffin trailed off when suggesting why he wouldn't tell Sturgeon that he thought of her because he was "polite". At which point Sturgeon responded by asking McGiffin, "he's a gentleman, is he?"

Read More: Nicola Sturgeon column in The Evening Times