MSPs have backed Scottish Government proposals aimed at keeping the country in the European single market.

They debated the plans just hours after Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain will leave the trade bloc when it quits the European Union.

External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop had urged Holyrood to "stand up for Scotland's interests" by getting behind the options published by the First Minister last year.

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These include a "differentiated deal" which could see Scotland stay in the single market even if the rest of the UK leaves it, and the devolution of more powers to Holyrood.

MSPs voted 86 to 36 in favour of a Scottish Government motion welcoming the plans, and endorsing their discussion with the UK Government.

The Tories and the Lib Dems voted against the Government, arguing that there are concerns the differentiated solution will not work and warning against further moves towards another independence referendum.

Labour backed the motion, but warned that retaining membership of the EU single market cannot be at the expense of the UK single market.

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Ms Hyslop had earlier told MSPs: "If our attempts at agreeing a compromise are rejected, then it is vital that we continue to have other options available to us, including that of a referendum on independence.

"If the hard right of the Tory party, which is driving the UK debate, can drive Scotland not only out of the EU but out of the single market as well, it will start to believe it can do anything to Scotland and get away with it.

"Scotland will not be silenced by a right-wing Tory Government which is intent of riding roughshod over our vital national interest and the democratic voice of the Scottish people.

"It is time to stand up for the interests of Scotland."

The proposals will be presented at Thursday's meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU negotiations, she added.

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Conservative MSP Dean Lockhart said ''serious concerns'' have been raised about the Government's proposals for a differentiated agreement for Scotland.

He added: "Members of the First Minister's own standing council of experts have said the proposals would be highly unlikely and extremely difficult to implement. We share these concerns.

"On this side of the chamber we encourage the Scottish Government to work closely with the rest of the UK and use the full strength of the UK's bargaining position to get the best deal for Scotland."

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Mr Lockhart highlighted that the foreword to the document setting out the plans contains 11 separate references to independence.

He added: "It is time for the SNP to stop using this paper as a European version of the White Paper on independence, listen to the people of Scotland and rule out another damaging independence referendum."

Lewis Macdonald, for Labour, said Mrs May had shown "little evidence of a willingness to consider different outcomes on the single market for different parts of the UK".

He added: "Our starting point in this debate is that we acknowledge the benefits that Scotland and Britain have derived from membership of the European single market, but we know that the single market of the UK is even more important to our vital interests."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said he does not believe the SNP's differentiated solution to remain in the single market can work.

He added: "We do not need the chaos of independence to compound the chaos of Brexit."

Read more: Nicola Sturgeon says second referendum 'all but inevitable' after May's speech

Green MSP Ross Greer said: "Theresa May would have to depart far from today's speech to even get halfway towards the proposals from the Scottish Government, which we in the Greens had already seen as the limits of reasonable compromise."