FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to travel to London this week in a bid to establish a united front against Theresa May’s Brexit plan.

Speaking on the BBC’s Marr programme, the SNP leader said the opposition parties had a “responsibility to come together and coalesce around an alternative” to the Prime Minister’s draft deal.

Sturgeon said she believed Brussels would be willing to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement if it meant a closer relationship between Britain and the EU.

“If the House of Commons says we want to go down the road of single market and customs union membership, we want more time to take this back to the people of the UK in another vote, we need an extension of Article 50. If there is a clear change of direction, then I believe the EU27 would be prepared to look at that,” she said.

“But that means those who don’t want this deal coming together.

“Those who don’t think the Prime Minister’s deal is the right way to go have now a responsibility to come together and coalesce around an alternative.

“I will seek to have discussions this week with other parties to get us into that position.”

Sturgeon confirmed her MPs would not back May’s deal, saying it amounted to a “blindfold Brexit”.

“I think it would be a mistake and deeply irresponsible for the House of Commons to endorse that.”

Her Brexit Secretary Michael Russell will be in London today for a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee.

He blasted the UK Government, accusing them of not being interested “in the views of the Scottish Government or Parliament.”

Russell added: “While we will be impressing on the UK Government again today the need for Scotland and the UK to stay in the customs union and single market, which is eight times the size of the UK alone, I now have little confidence at all that UK ministers are interested in serious talks.

“This week therefore while the Tories escalate their civil war, we will step up our efforts to work constructively with others to bring about an outcome that will minimise the damage of leaving the EU and protect jobs and living standards as much as possible.”

Meanwhile, it seems May might not be able to rely on the support of all the Scottish Tories to get her agreement through the Commons.

Speaking to the Sunday Politics Scotland programme, the Tory MP for Angus, Kirstene Hair, said there were reassurances she needed before committing to back May.

“It is only right MPs, who are essentially making one of the biggest decisions they will ever make as an MP outwith deciding going to war, must take the time to get the detail of this deal correct and be reassured we can indeed vote for it,” she said.

Brexiteers Ross Thomson and David Duguid, and moderates John Lamont and Paul Masterton, have all expressed doubts about the text.

May can rely on Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell, who initially said he had fears over different regulations for Northern Ireland and Scotland, before backing the deal to the hilt.

After Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigned from Cabinet on Thursday and said he was worried the deal threatened the integrity of the UK, Mundell publicly attacked him as a “carpetbagger”.

“I am sure this is more about manoeuvring and leadership,” Mundell said.

In an interview over the weekend, Raab hit back, telling The Sunday Times he was surprised Mundell hadn’t quit Cabinet.

“I like David Mundell and I respect the views of all my former Cabinet colleagues. It’s curious because he agreed with me in Cabinet on the substance of what I was saying and I’m the one who resigned on principle.”