NICOLA Sturgeon is to seek cross party support for her diplomatic charm offensive aimed at saving Scotland's place the EU single market.

The First Minister is planning a round of talks, including with EU member states, to see if Scotland can retain its membership of the Brussels bloc before she moves to her "last resort" option of a second independence referendum.

She will use an emergency debate at Holyrood - the first chance MSPs will have to assess Friday's momentous Brexit vote - to seek cross party backing for her strategy.

The call came as another poll showed increased support for independence, following Scotland's decisive 62 per cent to 38 per cent Remain vote.

The Survation poll for the Daily Record found 54 per cent would vote for independence if a poll were held tomorrow, compared with 46 per cent for No, excluding the don't-knows.

David Mundell, the Secretary of State for Scotland, accused Ms Sturgeon of "opportunism" and using the uncertainty created by the Brexit vote to "push the independence agenda".

But Ms Sturgeon called on MSPs on all sides to rally behind a motion welcoming Scotland's "overwhelming" backing for EU membership.

It "mandates" her to hold talks with the UK Government, other devolved administrations, EU institutions and member states "to explore options for protecting Scotland’s relationship with the EU and Scotland’s place in the single market".

Speaking ahead of the vote, Ms Sturgeon said it was "democratically unacceptable" that Scotland faced leaving the EU despite voting to remain.

She added: "I am now determined to explore every avenue to retain Scotland’s EU status, and today’s parliamentary debate is a vital part of that process.

"I am specifically asking Parliament to strengthen my hand by giving me a mandate to pursue discussions."

She added: "Today’s debate is among the most important in Holyrood’s history and I want to see it result in broad, cross-party support for our efforts."

Ruth Davidson, the Scots Tory leader who also campaigned for a Remain vote, said she supported the First Minister's efforts to keep Scotland in the European single market.

But she also warned against using the situation to press for a second independence referendum.

She said: "We would caution the SNP against using these negotiations to further their aim of independence.

"Whatever peoples' views about last week's decision, the truth is that we do not solve our departure from the European Union by walking out of our own Union of nations as well.

"Scotland's trade to the rest of the UK far outstrips that to the EU.

"Scottish jobs rely on access to both markets."

Ms Sturgeon admitted on Sunday she did not know if it would be possible to retain Scotland's place in the single market.

She has said a second independence referendum is "highly likely".

Under her plan, it would be held within the two year negotiating window before the UK formally leaves the EU, allowing Scotland to retain membership albeit on new terms.

Mr Mundell said there should not be a second referendum.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, he said: "I believe that the arguments for Scotland being part of the UK are as compelling today as they were in 2014.

"I think it's very, very unhelpful that at this moment, where we do look to bring stability, that virtually the first thing that is mentioned by the First Minister before the ink had even dried on the declaration of the result in the EU referendum is independence.

"I think a lot of people in Scotland will have taken a step back and think this is just opportunism in terms of trying to exploit a situation of uncertainty to push the independence agenda."

He refused to be drawn on whether the UK Government would grant a Section 30 Order giving a referendum legal status.

"What I'm going to do is argue that there shouldn't be another independence referendum," he said.

Scottish Labour's confusion over the prospect of a second independence referendum deepened when former shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran argued "the case for independence in 2018 could be stronger than in 2014" following the Brexit vote.

She said Labour must now face up to the "growing divergence between the politics of Scotland and the rest of Britain".

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, has said the party will continue to oppose a second referendum in the short term.

However, she has not ruled out a dramatic change of heart depending on the terms of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.