KEZIA Dugdale has said it is "not inconceivable" she could vote for Scottish independence if Britain votes to leave the EU.
The Scottish Labour leader said she would "do whatever I could to preserve and promote" Scotland's place in the EU, including voting for independence, during an interview in which she also talked publicly about her sexuality for the first time.
She said she has a female partner.
Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson posted a message of support on her official Twitter account.
Genuinely pleased Kez feels comfortable enough to come out. Being open about your sexuality in the public eye can be daunting, but worth it.
— Ruth Davidson (@Ruth_E_Davidson) April 1, 2016
Her comments about voting for independence prompted a swift and scathing response from the Scots Tories and were followed by a personal statement clarifying her position.
In the interview with the Fabian Review, conducted six weeks ago but only published now, she was asked about Nicola Sturgeon's view that a second independence referendum would be "almost inevitable" if Scotland voted to stay in the EU but Britain as a whole voted to leave.
Danny Lawson/PA Wire
Questioned on her own position, she said: "I see tremendous benefits from the EU to Scotland, so I would do whatever I could to preserve and promote that.
"The same argument applies to the UK.
"I would very much like both those unions to stay."
Asked whether she could argue against the UK so Scotland could stay in the EU, she replied: "Possibly. It’s not inconceivable."
Ruth Davidson described her comments as "a staggering admission," and warned Labour could "not be trusted" to defend the Union.
In a lengthy clarification, Ms Dugdale said: "As I made clear on in the leaders' TV debate this week, Labour has ruled out a second independence referendum.
"We won't introduce one in government and we would vote against one if it's introduced by any other party.
"I campaigned as hard as anybody to ensure that Scotland remained part of the UK.
"The collapse in the oil price showed that the best way to secure our public services is to stay in the UK.
"I would vote to stay in the UK in any future referendum."
She said Ms Sturgeon would do "everything she could" to secure a second referendum after after a Brexit vote but stressed she wanted Scotland to stay in the UK.
Aides insisted there was "no ambiguity" over her position.
On her private life, Ms Dugdale said: "I have a female partner.
"I don’t talk about it very much because I don’t feel I need to. And there’s something too about how meteoric my career has been.
"I am generally calm, almost serene. I don’t get easily stressed or battered.
"But I need a bit of stability to do that, and that means my private life is my private life.
"That’s the thing I just have to have that nobody gets to touch, and that gives me the strength to be calm elsewhere."
Her sexuality has been widely known in political circles but it is the first time she has spoken about it publicly.
Of Scotland's other party leaders, Ms Davidson is gay and Patrick Harvie, co-convener of the Scottish Greens, is bi-sexual. David Coburn, UKIP's leader in Scotland, is also gay.
Her comments emerged as tax continued to dominate the election battle.
Labour again attacked the SNP for refusing to increase the top rate of income tax, paid by those earning over £150,000, from 45p to 50p.
But the Scots Tories warned Labour's plan to raise the basic rate by 1p meant Scots earning the average salary of £27,710 would pay £162 more than they would in England.
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