Opposition to fisheries policy would prevent party aim of rejoining bloc

almost stocks.”

Ms Whiteford also said Scotland should not rejoin the EU without “a specific democratic mandate. It would either be another referendum or an election.”

Scottish Secretary David Mundell also signed the Federation’s pledge.

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson raised the issue at First Minister’s Questions, attacking the “complete absurdity of the SNP’s position – or should I say positions?” two-thirds of our fish

She said: “Right now, we have SNP MPs in fishing communities saying the CFP is terrible and that Scotland would pull out.

“At the same time, we have Nicola Sturgeon standing up in Edinburgh trying to win the votes of Remainers by saying that Scotland would go straight back in.

“Does the First Minister not see the utter hypocrisy here?”

Ms Sturgeon said: “I see utter consistency, over years, in the SNP’s position on the Common Fisheries Policy; from the Tories, I see flip-flopping all the time on Brexit and on fishing.”

She also quoted from the UK Government’s Brexit White Paper which said there should be a “mutually beneficial deal that works for the UK and the EU’s fishing communities”.

She said that translated into the Tories “selling out the fishing industry”.

She added: “What does that mean if it does not mean allowing Spain and other countries access to Scottish fishing waters? Why can Ruth Davidson not be honest with the fishing community? The Tories are preparing to treat it as being expendable all over again.

“It is the SNP that will always stand up for fishing.”

Looking to the council elections on May 4, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale accused the SNP of overseeing a declining education system.

She read an email from Blackhall Primary in Edinburgh warning parents of a “national shortage of teachers”, and revealed the Government had recently admitted, in an obscure document, that it would take three years to fill Scotland’s 700 teacher vacancies.

“Can the First Minister really keep a straight face and tell teachers, parents and pupils once again that education is her number one priority?”

Ms Sturgeon said she had never shied away from the challenge of teacher vacancies, and Scotland was not the only country with the problem.

In response to Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie, Ms Sturgeon reiterated her support for Scotland to be both independent in the EU.