Jo Swinson accused of hypocrisy over praise for SNP independence White Paper

Ms Swinson, the clear favourite to replace Vince Cable as party leader, has frequently cited the detail in the 2013 white paper as a key reason why a second referendum on Brexit is required - but not a re-run of the 2014 vote on Scottish independence.

But the East Dunbartonshire MP was accused of “making it up as she goes along” after comments emerged in which she had criticised the White Paper for a lack of detail and “failing to provide answers on key questions”.

Ms Swinson, who is facing off against former Energy Secretary Ed Davey in the leadership election, has been pressed repeatedly at televised hustings on whether she has a hypocrite for backing a so-called People's Vote on Brexit, while arguing against a second referendum on independence.

Nationalism has 'fractured politics', says Swinson

Her response to such questions often praises the SNP for their 'detailed vision' in the White Paper, contrasting it with what she perceives as a lack of detail in the competing versions of Brexit being proposed by Eurosceptics.

In a debate on the BBC's Victoria Live programme last week, Ms Swinson was asked if she was a hypocrite for proposing a second referendum on Brexit while arguing against a second vote on independence.

She said: "In 2014, in Scotland, we had a debate which was based on a very detailed White Paper, which, to the SNP's credit, they put forward and said: 'this is our plan for an independent Scotland.'"

Ms Swinson gave a similar answer on Sky News on Monday, again saying it was "to the SNP's credit", that they had produced '650 pages of detail, setting out their vision for an independent Scotland'.

However in 2013, the then Under Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs in the Coalition Government said that the White Paper left voters in her constituency 'none the wiser' over independence, and was asking voters to 'take a leap in the dark'.

She added: “The SNP have always promised that the White Paper would answer all the questions that people have over independence. But the glitzy launch will have left people in East Dunbartonshire none the wiser over what leaving the UK would mean for Scotland.

“We needed to see answers over the SNP’s plan B on currency, on what it would mean for things like our place in Europe and our universities. What we got was a wish list that came without a price list and no recognition that the First Minister might not get everything his own way."

The SNP said the Lib Dems were irrelevant in Scotland, and that the comments proved Ms Swinson will say anything to be noticed.

MSP Rona McKay said: "In election after election, voters across Scotland have rejected the Lib Dems, who would sooner jump back into bed with the Tories than do anything to build a fairer society.

"Jo Swinson knows her party is a complete irrelevance in Scotland - they're making it up as they go along, and will say absolutely anything to try and get attention.

"Meanwhile, the SNP is going from strength to strength, with latest polling putting support for independence on a knife-edge – with more than half of Scots believing another referendum should be held before the UK has left the EU.

“Independence will give Scotland the power to determine our own future, rather than being faced with the prospect of a Brexit which will devastate our economy, or endless governments we didn’t vote for."

A spokesperson for Jo Swinson said: “Scottish voters have made their feelings clear on both independence and Brexit. They want Scotland to remain part of the UK and the UK to remain part of the EU, and the Liberal Democrats are the only party standing up for them.

“The SNP need to focus on tackling the big issues that people in Scotland face, not continue this constant constitutional wrangling.”