NICOLA Sturgeon has demanded Theresa May set out the general direction of travel on how Britain will leave the EU as Alex Salmond warned a "full English Brexit" would harm Scotland's economy and cultural identity.

The First Minister’s call came as Brussels set itself on a collision course with London after Martin Schulz, one of its most powerful players, made clear the UK could not have access to the European single market without accepting the free movement of people, saying the two principles were “inseparable”.

Ms Sturgeon, addressing a lunch held by the Journalists' Charity in Glasgow, said her government would judge the Brexit options available "against this fundamental question: does it protect our key national interest?" but she accepted it was "highly unlikely" the UK would stay in the single market.

The FM has already made clear that she regards remaining in the free trade zone as being vital for Scotland and the UK.

Ms Sturgeon defended her stance of keeping a second independence vote on the table, saying: "If we don't retain the option, we would be accepting that no matter how damaging to our economy and society Westminster decisions turn out to be, we would be powerless to choose a better future.

"I don't think that would be sensible or an acceptable position to place ourselves in," she insisted.

The SNP leader claimed it was extraordinary that, three months on from the EU referendum, there was still a plethora of questions that needed to be answered, including:

*did the Prime Minister want Britain to remain in the single market?

*would people have to pay a holiday tax by paying for a visa to travel in Europe and 

*would workers' rights on such things as holiday pay and maternity rights be guaranteed? 

"On these vital practical questions there have been no answers. I accept that at this stage the Prime Minister can't answer every question but I do think it is reasonable to expect that the general direction of travel is set out,” declared Ms Sturgeon.

Meantime, her predecessor, addressing the Saltire Society's 80th anniversary at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, said: "It would be a negation of our history, and certainly of our future prosperity, if we were to allow our thousand-year relationship with Europe to be now severed by the likes of Boris Johnson.

"Full English Brexit is bad for Scotland's economic health and cultural identity," insisted Mr Salmond.

Earlier, Mr Schulz, president of the European Parliament, branded Britain’s decision to quit the European Union a "disaster" for the country and the 28-member bloc.

In a speech at the London School of Economics, he said: "I see a clear majority in the European Parliament for insisting that the fundamental freedoms are inseparable ie no freedom of movement for goods, capital and services, without free movement of persons.

"I refuse to imagine a Europe where lorries and hedge funds are free to cross borders but citizens cannot. To claim now that the vote is a clear popular mandate to sacrifice single market access on the altar of ‘migration’ is simply wrong."

His comments fly in the face of remarks made less than 24 hours earlier by the foreign secretary, who argued that trading access to the single market with free movement of workers was "complete baloney".

Mr Johnson insisted: "The two things have nothing to do with each other. We should go for a jumbo free trade deal and take back control of our immigration policy."