JIM Sillars, the former deputy leader of the SNP, has accused Nicola Sturgeon of resorting to scaremongering in her bid to secure a Remain vote in the EU referendum.
In a powerfully worded attack, the prominent Leave campaigner said the First Minister had "fallen from her own high standards" by "deploying the whiplash of fear".
He was responding to Ms Sturgeon's stark warning that Brexit would lead to a new and more right wing Conservative government as leaders of the Leave camp seized power from David Cameron.
Read more: Mark Millar - Scotland needs to get out of Europe while it still can
She said Scotland would be in the firing line as the new government axed workers' rights and cut public spending.
Her warning came as a shock poll showed 53 per cent of Scots are set to back Brexit in next Thursday's poll, with 47 per cent voting to remain in the EU.
The finding was the first to show Leave leading in Scotland, though it's reliability has been questioned as it was based on a relatively small sample within a UK-wide TNS poll.
Mr Sillars hit back as he helped launch a post-Brexit prospectus for Scotland produced by Leave.EU, the most prominent of the 'unofficial' Leave campaign organisations.
He said: "I deeply regret that Nicola seems to have resorted to the tactic which she previously deplored and in doing so has fallen from her own high standards in her statement yesterday.
"She has deployed the whiplash of fear to drive people to vote for Remain by implying that Brexit will bring a reformed Tory government to power which would destroy workers' rights."
Mr Sillars argued there was no chance a future government would make changes to holiday pay, or maternity and paternity pay.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon - Leave campaign is an attempted coup by right-wing Tories
He said the rights - which in Britain were more generous than EU minimum levels - were popular and no new-look Conservative government with a majority of only 12 would be able to change them.
"It would be suicide for any Westminster government to try to roll them back," he said.
He attacked Ms Sturgeon for failing to mention issues such as the unpopular Common Fisheries Policy or her government's plan for minimum alcohol pricing, which has been rejected by the European Court.
The former Labour MP, who has been a member of the SNP since 1980, added: "I'm finding more and more SNP members coming out and campaigning for Leave.
"More and more of those who voted Yes in 2014 can't understand the contradiction between wanting to leave a union with London to get into a bigger union run by Brussels."
Mr Sillars said he could see "no downsides" to Brexit for either Scotland or the UK as a whole.
He claimed a million German car workers depended for their jobs on the UK motor market and insisted Britain would be in a stronger position than the rest of the EU when it came to renegotiating trade deals.
The Leave.EU document, titled Democratic, Prosperous and Free, claims Brexit would produce a £506million annual windfall for Holyrood.
In addition, it says the Scottish Parliament would gain £614million of the present £709million EU subsidies for farming and fishing.
The document says it would be "hard for Westminster to resist" handing the remaining £95million to ministers in Edinburgh.
Brian Monteith, the former Tory MSP and Leave.EU spokesman, said: "The question has to be asked of other politicians, why would you not want more powers and, indeed, more funds for the Scottish Parliament?"
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