The SNP has been accused of trying to "buy off" voters by reportedly planning to drop full membership of the EU as a key part of the campaign for Scottish independence.
The Times reports senior SNP figures want a Norway-style model enabling an independent Scotland to remain in the single market via the European Free Trade Area and European Economic Agreement, not full EU membership.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie claimed the move is aimed at appeasing Yes voters who want to leave the EU, while "abandoning" those who voted to remain.
Read more: Greens edge closer to deal with SNP on top-rate taxes
He said: "By abandoning full membership of the EU it is clear the SNP are crudely attempting to buy off the hundreds of thousands of Brexit supporting Yes voters. Yet with this act they are also abandoning 1.6 million people who voted to stay in the European Union.
"The SNP are using the remain voters to demand an independence referendum but are quick to sell them out to keep the independence movement unified.
"They know that many Brexit voters would not back independence if it meant rejoining the EU. So they ditch Europe to make gains on independence.
"If Scotland were to leave the customs union we would not have the same benefits that we have enjoyed as a member of the EU. An independent Scotland being semi-detached from both the UK and the EU would make Brexit look like a picnic.
"Liberal Democrats stand wholly, unapologetically committed to both the UK and EU and want Scotland to stay in both. Unfortunately it looks like the SNP want neither."
Read more: Greens edge closer to deal with SNP on top-rate taxes
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said the SNP needs to "get back to the day job".
She added: "None of this is about getting the best deal for Scotland...
"All it is about is a narrow nationalist obsession with breaking up this country against the wishes of the Scottish people who've said they want to stay part of Britain.
"I think Nicola Sturgeon needs to take a long, hard look at herself because we saw over the weekend there are only 27% of Scots that have said they fancy going for an early indy ref, which is what she is threatening.
Read more: Greens edge closer to deal with SNP on top-rate taxes
"She needs to get back to her day job and spend less of her time concentrating on another independence referendum that the majority have no truck for."
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