ONE of the candidates in the SNP leadership race has been ridiculed after suggesting a “readiness thermometer” could help deliver independence.

Ash Regan said the device could be erected in Glasgow and Edinburgh and would have “a dial on it that moves”, showing the nation was fully prepared to leave the UK.

Despite sounding akin to a school fundraising prop, she said it would give voters the confidence that “we've solved all these problems”, including adopting a new currency.

The Tories said it was "utterly ridicululous", while Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton called it "weapons grade bananas".

Ms Regan, a former minister who is trailing in the three-way contest, made the suggestion at the SNP leadership hustings in Glenrothes tonight.

Asked how to persuade voters who were sceptical about the financial side of independence in 2014, she said: “So there's an idea that I wanted to put to you. It's not my idea, but the group that came up with it have said that we should be using it in the campaign.

“And it's the idea of a readiness thermometer. I don’t know if anyone's seen that idea, yeah? 

“So the idea is you can have an actual installation, which is a readiness thermometer.

“We could put it up in Glasgow or in Edinburgh, and it can be outside, but it has a dial on it that moves. 

“So when we've, you know, set, made all the plans for the currency, for instance, or we've set up how we're going to do something to do with defence or whatever it is, that dial will move, and it will ensure it.

“And the media can look at it. Everyone can look at it. 

“And it builds that confidence with the public, so that when we get up to the 100% everybody in Scotland knows we've solved all these problems. We've set up the currency.

“You know, everything's ready to go. And they'll have that confidence.”

Rival Humza Yousaf was unable to resist a dig, saying after Ms Regan finished: “I thought as health secretary I might have heard of a readiness thermometer, but I haven't done so.”

Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy said: “Calling this idea back of an envelope stuff would be far too generous.

“It is an utterly ridiculous suggestion from someone bidding to be First Minister which will be roundly ridiculed.

“Scots will sadly have to suffer weeks of this trio of candidates trying to outdo each other on their independence obsession, when they should be focusing on the true priorities of the Scottish public.”