Britain needs UK nations' support over Brexit, report says

Ahead of the formal negotiations with Brussels, which are expected to begin next year, British Prime Minister Theresa May was warned over a "full-blown constitutional crisis" during Brexit negotiations, a new report by the Institute for Government (IfG) think-tank said on Monday, the British newspaper Independent reported.

The study concluded that British Prime Minister Theresa May will face a crisis unless the U.K. nations back her terms for Brexit. Therefore, rejecting the Scottish government's demands during Brexit negotiations would lead to greater risks for the country, the report said, stressing that imposing an exit settlement on U.K. nations would be "a reckless strategy."

The report was released ahead of the meeting with the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in London, where she faced calls for each region to vote on the government's Brexit plans. May met with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and Northern Irish First Minister Arlene Foster and her deputy Martin McGuinness.

Sturgeon, leader of the secessionist Scottish National Party, has been the most vocal of the first ministers since the June 23 vote. Earlier this month she called for a fresh referendum on Scottish independence if Scotland's interests are not protected in the Brexit negotiations.

While England and Wales voted to leave the EU, a majority in Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain in the bloc.

In a letter to May ahead of the meeting, Sturgeon called for each of the devolved parliaments to have the chance to vote on Brexit plans.

Her Welsh counterpart Jones also pushed for such a vote in a separate letter to May, in which he also said all four U.K. parliaments should vote on the final deal with the EU.