NICOLA STURGEON said yesterday that a vote to leave the European Union against Scotland’s will would “almost certainly” trigger a second Scottish independence referendum.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Scotland’s First Minister claimed there would be an “inescapable” shift in public opinion towards independence if it would ensure Scotland’s continued EU membership, adding that it was “inevitable” that No voters in the last referendum would change their minds.

She warned that if “we find ourselves, having voted to stay in the EU, being taken out against our will, I think there will be many people — including people who voted No in 2014 — who would say the only way to guarantee our EU membership is to be independent.”

Ms Sturgeon said that she did not want this situation to arise and that she hoped Britain as a whole would vote to stay in.

She said that Prime Minister David Cameron wanted an EU “where the social and employment protections that it brings are watered down,” but that, for her “these are parts of the reasons for being in the EU.”

The SNP added: “It would worry me greatly if the UK was to come out of the EU, as we would then have David Cameron’s majority Conservative government unfettered when it came to employment rights or social protections.”

She warned that the Prime Minister should “think twice” about coming to Scotland to make his case for remaining in the EU, saying that, in the run-up to the independence referendum, “we used to be overjoyed when he made a foray into Scotland to campaign there, because we thought it ratcheted up votes for the Yes campaign.”

However, Scottish Campaign Against Euro-Federalism secretary John Foster warned that those calling for a second referendum to guarantee Scotland’s EU membership “should be aware of the consequences.”

He said Scotland would be “be required to fully eliminate its budget deficit in circumstances that would be even more penal than those currently experienced by Greece,” as it would be forced to sign up to the 2012 fiscal compact.

Mr Foster added: “Scotland would not secure any form of political or economic independence, lose its ability to redevelop public ownership and instead be subject to intensified austerity.”