Brown warns Sturgeon against ‘hard’ independence

European and British single markets because the UK was an EU member state. “That has changed entirely. If we leave the United Kingdom now, we are also leaving the British single market,” the former Labour leader said.

Arguing that a separate Scotland would have a choice between free trade with the UK or EU, but could not have both, Mr Brown said: “That is the consequence of independence now. That is a more extreme and hard-line position to exit the British single market as well as the United Kingdom.”

He said this was “so important” because a million Scottish jobs are linked to being part of the UK internal market. The former PM said 3,000 Scottish companies import and export with England compared with 1,000 that do the same with the rest of the EU.

Mr Brown said: “The world has changed but not the way the SNP want it to be. The world has changed and we have to face up to post-Brexit realities. It doesn’t make the case for independence stronger, it makes it weaker.”

He delivered his warning in a speech in which he called for Holyrood to be handed a raft of new powers after Brexit as part of a “third option”, which he believes could unite the country. Mr Brown said a new form of federal home rule is needed to offer an alternative to Unionism and nationalism.

Under his plan, a large array of powers would be transferred to the Nicola Sturgeon, top right, tries on a firefighter’s helmet in Aberdeen yesterday as Gordon Brown criticised her drive for a second referendum while speaking at the Festival of Ideas in his home town of Kirkcaldy, Fife Scottish Parliament after Brexit, including the setting of VAT rates, the power to sign international treaties, and controls over agriculture, fisheries, environmental regulation, employment and energy.

Mr Brown also called for the repatriation to Scotland of £800million now spent by the European Union, and proposed the Bank of England becomes the Bank of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with fully staffed representation in Scotland.

But Ms Sturgeon said a separate Scotland would have “massive opportunities” if the UK turned its back on membership of “the world’s biggest single market” and it could stay inside.

The First Minister said in Aberdeen that Scotland will be “a magnet” to others and went on: “Scotland isn’t full up. If you are as appalled as we are at the path this Westminster government is taking, come and join us.”

Meanwhile JK Rowling is better placed to lead the campaign against Scottish independence than Jeremy Corbyn, a poll of 2,000 voters for

found. Twice as many people said the Harry Potter author should lead the pro-UK campaign than the current Labour leader.

However, Mrs May and Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, both polled above Ms Rowling.