Sturgeon 'shifting goalposts' over independence with soft Brexit 'coalition' demand
NICOLA Sturgeon was today accused of "shifting the goalposts" over a second independence referendum as she signalled Britain staying in the EU's single market may prevent a rerun.
The First Minister revealed she wants to form a "coalition" with Tory ministers who want to maintain tariff-free trade access to bloc with its 500 million customers as a priority.
But this appears to water down her previous demands to protect Scotland's EU membership in the immediate aftermath of June's Brexit vote.
Last week the SNP leader appeared to suggest the UK leaving the single market could be a "red line" that would trigger a new referendum, barely two years after Scots rejected separation.
European leaders have repeatedly insisted the UK must accept free movement of EU migrants in exchange for full membership of the single market, but Prime Minister Theresa May has said the right to control immigration was not negotiable.
Scottish Labour's Europe spokesman Lewis Macdonald welcomed Ms Sturgeon's commitment to staying in the single market and working with other political parties to achieve this.
But he repeated calls for her administration to release release of details of EU talks amid a secrecy row over a series of Brussels meetings.
Nicola Sturgeon to play key role at NEGOTIATIONS TABLE
He added: "This is a definite shifting of the goalposts from the First Minister, who initially said that maintaining our full membership of the EU would be the only acceptable outcome, now it is only about access to the single market.
"The people of Scotland deserve to know why the First Minister is changing her tune."
Earlier, Ms Sturgeon told BBC Scotland that she wants the UK to have full membership of the single market, not just access, and her initial objective was to strengthen the hand of those in the UK Government who want a "soft Brexit".
She said: "Can there be a coalition across the UK that gets the UK into a more sensible position? I think that's worth a good try because Theresa May, she was on the Remain side, so presumably she knows the real risks of removal from the single market."
Theresa May presumably knows the real risks of removal from the single market
"Let's have a try at getting the UK, not into the best position - because the best position in my view would be continued membership of the EU - but let's try and get the UK as a whole into the least worst position and that means staying in the single market."
Ms Sturgeon said she would only turn to the option of independence if that initiative failed.
She added: "That (independence) has to be an option that Scotland has to consider. Now does that mean Scotland would automatically and inevitably vote to be independent? No."
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said Ms Sturgeon would have an important role to play in offering ideas as part of Brexit negotiations but stressed the UK Government would take the lead.
Asked if Ms Sturgeon could expect a "veto" over any position that emerges, he added: "There isn't going to be a veto for anyone in relation to the EU negotiations."