Alex Salmond says Brexit will mean fresh indy vote

Alex Salmond has repeated his warning that a vote for Brexit next month will lead to a fresh independence vote within two years.

The former First Minister said there would be an irresistible demand for a second independence referendum if Scots were "dragged out of the EU against our will" by being outvoted by the rest of the UK.

However, Salmond added that unlike in 2014, when Scotland voted by 55% to 45% to stay in the UK, there would be a vote in favour of independence next time.

Opinion polls consistently show that Scotland is set to vote overwhelmingly for Britain to stay part of the European Union in the In-Out referendum on 23 June.

Salmond, appearing on the first televised debate of the campaign on the BBC last night, said: "If you had the situation where Scotland, in four weeks' time, votes Remain and the rest of the UK or England drags Scotland out by voting to leave, then that would justify, in my opinion, another referendum.

"In the circumstances of Scotland being threatened with being dragged out of the EU against our will, I think the result would be 'Yes' this time."

His comments echo similar statements he made just a week ago.

However, former Tory cabinet minister Liam Fox accused his fellow Scot Salmond of running a "fear campaign".

He said: "I have never been very sure what the SNP didn't understand about the (independence referendum) result - the Scottish people voted to stay in the UK."

Dr Fox said the EU referendum was "a decision for all the people in the UK and we should take it on the merits of the European Union debate and not be sidetracked into yet another fear campaign about a Scottish referendum".