Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has told MPs that there is "no desire in Scotland to have membership of the EU."
The comment came during Scottish questions in the Commons, after the SNP's Philippa Whitford pushed the Tory minister to detail the benefits of Brexit.
She said: “My colleagues have highlighted just some of the negative impacts of Brexit on individuals, businesses, universities and public services in Scotland.
“There simply are no real Brexit opportunities or sunlit uplands. So does it come as a surprise to the secretary of state that a poll last year showed 69 per cent of Scottish voters want to rejoin the EU?”
Mr Jack replied: “Regarding the benefits of Brexit, opinion polls come and go. We have seen 59% of Scots wanting to remain in the UK last week, I notice that opinion poll wasn’t quoted.
“But what I would say about the benefits of Brexit, we can make our own trade deals and we’ve made 71 to date.”
READ MORE: Poll suggests public unhappy with SNP's record on public services
Dr Whitford used her next question to also hit out at Labour, claiming Sir Keir Starmer's party had "lashed itself to the mast of the floundering Brexit ship."
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar told to cut ties with Keir Starmer's Brexit support
The Central Ayrshire MP asked Mr Jack to "at least recognise that the only route back to the EU for Scotland is as an independent country."
He replied: "Well, the deficit in Scotland is considerably higher than 3% which is the Maastricht criteria. That is not the route back.
"The common currency is a problem as well because as we know, the Bank of England is the bank of last resort and there would have to be a new currency Scotland, followed by membership of the Euro.
"There's no desire in Scotland to have membership in EU.
"I believe that Scots, when they stop and and look at the detail, whether it's on their pensions, whether it's on trade, whether it's on currency, they stop, they think about it and they know that their home is the United Kingdom."
A Panelbase survey in August found that if the Brexit referendum was held again, 72 per cent of voters in Scotland would support Remain, up from 62% in 2016.
While 69% said they would rejoin the EU, up from 61% in January.
READ MORE: Over two-thirds of Scots want to rejoin the EU
The survey of 1,133 adults in Scotland also found that 57% of voters who backed Remain in 2016, would vote Yes, compared with 28% of Leave voters.
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