NICOLA Sturgeon should lead a campaign for a second EU referendum across the UK, former First Minister Henry McLeish has said.

McLeish said all parties at Holyrood should back the move, which he claimed would add to pressure on the UK Government to call another In-Out vote on Europe.

The former Labour First Minister said the Scottish Government was best placed to lead such a campaign due to Scotland's overwhelming vote for Remain by a margin of 62 per cent to 38 per cent.

McLeish also praised Sturgeon's leadership in the period since June 23, when the UK as a whole narrowly backed Brexit and outvoted Scotland.

Sturgeon last week addressed members of the Seanad in Dublin, where she stated that Scottish independence remains "firmly on the table".

McLeish, who was First Minister from 2000 to 2001, said a second EU vote was needed so the UK electorate could vote on the outcome of the UK Government's Brexit negotiations.

He also pointed to the false claims about extra cash for the NHS made by Brexit supporters during the referendum campaign.

McLeish said: "Brexit has soured the political atmosphere and now is the time for a unity of purpose to give the people of Britain a chance to have their say.

"It was a fake campaign and the referendum represented much of what was wrong with British politics. The public deserves the opportunity to vote on the outcome of these negotiations.

"It's ludicrous beyond belief that we could leave the future of the EU in the hands of Theresa May's government. Nicola Sturgeon has been right to press the case for staying in the EU and she was absolutely right to be in Ireland making the case for Scotland."

McLeish claimed the SNP's bloc of more than 50 MPs at Westminster also meant Sturgeon would be in a strong position to lead a campaign for a second EU referendum.

He said: "It's time for Scotland to lead the battle for the UK to stay. Nicola Sturgeon is well placed to force the way on a second referendum and how could Theresa May stop that as it would be undemocratic.

"The SNP group has more than 50 MPs in the House of Commons, but it requires other parties to come to the table especially Labour."

McLeish added: "Brexit has created more confusion and complexity and Scotland's role within it. There's also no reason why there shouldn't be some unity between Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and even the Conservatives in Scotland to pursue that second referendum."

A spokesperson for Sturgeon said the First Minister's priority was opposing a 'hard Brexit' that would see Scotland being pulled out of the Single Market.

Sturgeon's spokesperson said: “We have made it clear that while the EU referendum outcome in England and Wales is not the one we wanted, we respect the result.

“Our efforts are focussed on avoiding a hard Brexit, which threatens to be catastrophic for jobs and our economy.

"That means trying to keep the whole of the UK in the single market – and also aiming to ensure Scotland remains in it whether or not the rest of the UK does.”

The pro-independence Scottish Greens warned that Scotland could again be outvoted by the UK as a whole if a second EU referendum was called.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said: "The idea of a second referendum wouldn't protect Scotland in terms of being put in the same position again.

"I don't see it as a priority to have a rerun of a process that could still see Scotland being ignored again."