Independence will not create a hard border between Scotland and the rest of the UK Nicola Sturgeon said as she announced plans to canvas the views of two millions Scots.

The First Minister also insisted that her new independence drive would not simply be a 're-run' of the 2014 referendum.

The arguments for and against separating from the rest of the UK had been changed utterly by the vote to leave the European Union, she said.

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But she added that she did not take any vote for granted, either in the No or Yes camp.

She cited a speech in Belfast by the Conservative cabinet minister David Davis in which she said he assured people there that Brexit would not mean a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.

The Herald:

Ms Sturgeon said: “The UK government cannot get away with saying that in Ireland and then saying the opposite here - it simply will not work".

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The SNP argued in the run up to the 2014 poll that a Yes vote would see Scotland enter the UK’s Common Travel Area with Ireland.

But critics have questioned whether that zone can survive a Brexit.

At the launch of the new push in Stirling Ms Sturgeon also announced a dedicated website where members of the public can give their views on independence.

More than 120,000 SNP members will also be sent survey packs and asked to canvas the views of 15 people each over the next three months.

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Every one of the SNP’s parliamentarians will hold a townhall event in their area.

Activists will also knock on doors up and down Scotland in a bid to ensure the party talks to as many voters as possible.

Ms Sturgeon predicted that two million Scots would be involved before the end of November.