Nicola Sturgeon has thrown down the gauntlet to anti-independence parties by demanding they show that the Union “works for Scotland”.
In a major speech in Edinburgh, the first minister said the UK Government had a “vested interest” in making sure Scotland’s “distinctive voice” is heard.
Ms Sturgeon said now was the time for pro-Union parties to “do more than just assert” that “Scotland’s voice can be heard, our wishes accommodated and our interests protected within the UK”.
The Brexit vote has led to renewed calls for a second referendum on independence – a prospect Ms Sturgeon has described as “highly likely”.
While the UK as a whole voted Leave, Scotland voted Remain.
The first minister outlined five key tests for the Brexit negotiations which could determine whether or not a second independence referendum is called.
Opposition parties accused Ms Sturgeon of “setting (negotiations) up to fail” so she can “provide another flimsy excuse for a referendum re-run”.
Speaking to those “who are at pains to say how highly they value the Union”, the first minister said: “Now is the time to do more than just assert – against the evidence to the contrary – that the Union works for Scotland.
“It is surely time now to find ways to demonstrate that Scotland’s voice can be heard, our wishes accommodated and our interests protected within the UK.
“It seems to me that the UK Government now has a responsibility – indeed a vested interest – to do so.”
Ms Sturgeon also said it appeared the UK was heading for “hard rather than soft Brexit”, which could lead to economic upheaval.
She outlined five key interests – democratic, economic, social protection, solidarity and influence – which she would seek to protect during the negotiations to leave the EU.
She added: “Scotland didn’t choose to be in this situation, and our vital interests are at stake with potential consequences that will affect all of us – so I have a duty to do all that I can to protect those interests.
“We can seek to find – or create – a solution that enables Scotland’s distinctive voice to be heard and our interests to be protected within the UK. Or we can consider again the option of independence.”
The Scottish Conservatives’ Murdo Fraser dismissed Ms Sturgeon’s intervention.
He said: “Scotland does not want to go through the division and upheaval of another independence vote.
“Instead, the Scottish Government should be working hard to make the best of this, not shoehorning its narrow agenda into almost anything it can.
“It’s pretty clear the SNP is going to amble through this process, and reach the conclusion it always wanted.”
Scottish Labour’s Lewis Macdonald said Ms Sturgeon should focus on “finding a way to protect Scotland’s place in both the unions we voted for”.
