Responding to the announcement made by Nicola Sturgeon this morning that she will seek another referendum on Scottish independence, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP said, "The SNP have been working towards this announcement for months. They have been determined to contrive a way to ignore their promise that 2014 was ‘once in a generation’.

“There is no wide public support for a new and divisive referendum.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats stood on a manifesto to oppose a divisive referendum and we will do that.

“The big concern is that the SNP’s policy risks leaving Scotland outside of the EU and outside of the UK.

“The First Minister refused to state that Scotland would be a full EU member under her plan.The SNP have airbrushed membership of the EU from their independence plans. That will let down all those who support the EU.

“That is the worst possible result for jobs, trade and security.”