Labour MSP compares Nicola Sturgeon to Nigel Farage

Daniel Johnson compared the First Minister to Ukip's Nigel Farage. Picture: PA

Daniel Johnson, who won the Edinburgh Southern seat at Holyrood from the SNP earlier this year, compared Nicola Sturgeon to Nigel Farage as he launched an attack on her party’s credibility in the Brexit debate.

The SNP wants to protect Scotland’s place in Europe by securing a deal which would see the country remain as a member of the European single market, or through Scottish independence.

During a debate on Brexit at the Scottish Labour conference in Perth, Mr Johnson drew comparisons between speeches made by Ms Sturgeon and Mr Farage, the former Ukip leader, before the independence and EU referendums.

“Both want to take control, they just disagree with their respective nationalisms,” he said.

“I think to me, and many people in this room and beyond, that’s why the SNP’s arguments on the EU sound so hollow.

“The SNP has no authority to speak on the European Union because they speak with two voices.

“On the union between Scotland and the other nations of the UK, well, that union is bad. But on the union between the UK and the other nations of Europe, that union is apparently strong.

“They just don’t have credibility because those arguments are contradictory.”