NICOLA Sturgeon has again warned that Theresa May needs to make a positive “step change” in her attitude towards Scotland’s interests or it could lead to a second independence referendum.

After a three-hour meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee in Cardiff City Hall to consider the Scottish Government’s options, the First Minister appeared downcast as she said she “remained to be convinced” Mrs May, who chaired the meeting, and her ministers were taking her administration’s options seriously.

She said while the SNP Government had compromised, the Conservative one in London had shown “no willingness to meet in the middle”.

She said: “To convince me that Scotland’s voice is going to be heard in this process there will need to be a step change in the approach the UK Government has taken thus far. Time is running out on this process.

“What we really need to see next is a sign of some compromise on the part of the UK Government. To come to a compromise solution does take movement on both sides and unless we see some movement on the UK Government’s side, then we are not going to get to a compromise. That’s why the next few weeks are critical.

“In terms of me being able to judge whether Scotland’s voice is going to be heard at all in this process or whether it is a case of we will be taken down whatever path the UK Government wants to drag us down no matter how damaging that might be to us, then the next few weeks are really important.”

The UK and Scottish governments said they would “intensify” talks as the March deadline for triggering Article 50 neared but no-one could say what that meant. Another ordinary meeting of the JMC will take place next week in London.

When it was pointed out that Ms Sturgeon, to some people, had been making threats about so-called indyref2, the First Minister denied the charge, saying: “I will make my judgments in my own time and I will make them in what I consider to be in the interests of the country. I am not making any threats to anybody, I am simply stating facts I have stated all along.

“Firstly, I am determined to try to find compromise if it can be found and that is what I have done. Secondly, if it appears the only alternative to Scotland being taken down a hard Brexit path, not being listened to, and effectively being told just to like it or lump it, is giving people the choice of independence, then that is what I will do. I owe it to the people of Scotland in those circumstances to do that but I will take these judgments in an orderly fashion and in the time scale I consider to be appropriate.”

Ms Sturgeon said she wanted to “exhaust” the talks process, but thus far there had been no movement from the UK Government. “It can’t go on indefinitely. This is one of the last key opportunities for me to make clear to the Prime Minister that I have to see some movement on her part.”

Michael Russell, the Scottish Government minister also engaged in the intergovernmental talks, described the progress at the JMC as “infinitesimal” and bemoaned how Edinburgh had put reasonable options on the table, but London was removing them “one by one”.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said the JMC had been “constructive”, there was an “urgency” now to get on and a pledge to look more intensely at the SNP Government’s proposals.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “Once again Nicola Sturgeon has attended a meeting on Brexit and delivered nothing but threats about imposing another independence referendum on the people of Scotland.”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said Ms Sturgeon’s comments amounted to “more sabre-rattling”, saying: “Nicola Sturgeon should be using these talks to work with others from across the UK to get the best Brexit deal for all of us. Instead, she’s trying to pick fights to promote her own political agenda.”