Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon | Pool photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Sturgeon aims for ‘coalition’ to stop May’s Brexit deal Scotland’s first minister holds talks with Jeremy Corbyn and targets multiparty alliance.

LONDON — Pro-EU Conservative MPs can be part of a cross-party "coalition" against Theresa May's Brexit deal, and against a no-deal exit, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Tuesday.

Sturgeon was speaking in Westminster following talks with Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the U.K.'s opposition Labour party. Sturgeon, whose Scottish National Party is the third largest party in the House of Commons, said those opposed to the binary choice of May's deal or no deal should unite behind a single alternative strategy — and that Conservative MPs "have a role to play" in the interests of "building a coalition" in Westminster.

“The next stage of these discussions has to then look at what option can the opposition coalesce around," Sturgeon said, adding that options included a second referendum, a permanent customs union and single market arrangement.

May's government has said that the only options available to MPs when they vote — most likely before Christmas — on her deal, is the existing agreement or no deal. Labour has said that if MPs reject May's deal then a no-deal exit must be prevented, and say they want a general election. While not ruling out a second referendum, Labour has prioritized a motion of no confidence in the government that could topple May's government and force an election.

Sturgeon is in favor of another referendum that could reverse Brexit altogether. When asked about the possibility of a confidence motion, she said it was "important now ... that we focus on where we can build majorities."

In an apparent acknowledgement that the Conservative rebels required to give opposition parties a majority in parliament would not vote against their own government in a confidence motion, she added: "We can all table different things but if they get voted down because we haven’t done the work to build the majority behind them it’s not going to take us very far."

Sturgeon, who is meeting May herself on Tuesday evening, said that she had held a "worthwhile" discussion with Corbyn. The two sides had agreed to stay in close dialogue, she said, with their Brexit spokespeople, Keir Starmer and Stephen Gethins, speaking on an "ongoing basis."

"The option that would stop Brexit is another vote and Labour’s official position is not for that at the moment, but hopefully over the course of the next few weeks as these discussions develop we’ll see movement on all sorts of positions," she said.

A Labour party spokesperson said that talks had been "constructive."

"They discussed their common opposition to Theresa May’s botched Brexit deal and determination to work across parliament to prevent a disastrous no deal outcome," the spokesperson said.