ALEX Salmond's vision of an independent Scotland is a "mirage built on shifting sands," Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary, said.
Speaking to the Scottish Council for Development and Industry in Edinburgh, Mr Moore claimed the "hard facts" were against the First Minister's arguments and called on the SNP Government to not just draw up a wish-list but to start making a positive case for independence.
He suggested it was time for Mr Salmond to stop trying to entice the Scottish public with an optical illusion but come up with some hard facts to support his arguments.
Mr Moore criticised the Nationalists for accusing their opponents of scare-mongering and talking Scotland down when they question independence.
He claimed there was an "irony" that, after lengthy negotiations, Scotland would "arrive at a position that keeps the status quo", and added: "The shifting sands of the Scottish Government's position undermines the credibility of its case."
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