NICOLA Sturgeon’s hopes for a bespoke Scottish deal on Brexit were receding rapidly last night, after Scottish Secretary David Mundell said there was no evidence to justify one.

Speaking ahead of a potentially fractious meeting with the SNP Brexit minister in Whitehall today, Mr Mundell said his officials had carried out a “line by line analysis” of the proposal to keep Scotland in the EU single market which Ms Sturgeon published last month.

However he said it failed to present evidence to support a “differentiated deal” north of the border, and he disagreed Scotland “should somehow be separate from the rest of the UK”.

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The comments, which follow Theresa May saying the UK will leave the single market, will add to the pressure on the First Minister to carry out her threat to hold a second referendum.

Ms Sturgeon’s plan, which relies on the cooperation of Westminster and devolution of new powers over immigration and employment, will be discussed for the first time by the UK and Scottish governments at the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) on Brexit this morning.

SNP Brexit minister Michael Russell is due to meet Mr Mundell alongside Brexit Secretary David Davis, Scotland Office minister Lord Dunlop, and Treasury minister David Gauke.

However Mr Mundell told BBC Scotland the UK government had already concluded that, while there was some common ground, there was also fundamental disagreement.

He said: "At the moment I have not seen evidence which would persuade me that there is a need for a Scotland-specific solution in relation either to market access or in relation to issues around migration."

At Scottish Questions in the Commons later, Mr Mundell again undermined Ms Sturgeon’s plan by rejecting its critical plank of devolved immigration.

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He told MPs: “It was quite clear within the settlement agreed in the Smith Commission [on more devolution] that immigration would remain a reserved power."

He repeated Mr Russell’s past admission that true membership of the single market is only open to EU states, although Mr Russell is only seeking limited, Norway-style membership of the single market through the European Economic Area.

He said: “It is absolutely clear that Scotland cannot be a member of the single market if it is not a member of the EU, and the United Kingdom will not be a member of the EU. The Scottish Government accept that proposition. What is important is the access to the single market.”

In another setback for Ms Sturgeon, Elmar Brok, chairman of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, said there could be “no exceptions” for Scotland.

The German MEP said he was “very sorry” for Scotland, but “cherry-picking” was not possible.

He told the BBC: “We cannot have two agreements with the United Kingdom and Scotland. How can we do exceptions for Britain and then exceptions for Scotland. How can we do that?

“I don't think this is a cherry-picking thing, I am very sorry for Scotland because of that."

SNP external affairs secretary Fiona Hyslop acknowledged the SNP plan was “technically and legally challenging" but insisted it was "doable if there is the political will”.

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She said: “This is a compromise position and we expect the UK to move some way towards us, it can't just be one-way traffic."

A new poll for the SNP found 45 per cent of Scots thought Brexit would make life in Scotland worse, 13 per cent said it would improve, and 26 per cent said it would be unchanged.

Most people surveyed by YouGov also wanted Holyrood consulted on the triggering of Article 50 and for the UK government to take Ms Sturgeon’s Brexit plan “seriously”.

Mr Russell said: “The Prime Minister has repeatedly pledged that our proposals to keep Scotland in the single market will be properly considered. Today’s JMC meeting is a chance to prove she and her ministers mean what they say. If they fail to live up to that pledge, it is clear the people of Scotland are ready to hold them to account.”