First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today made pledges to rejoin the EU and retain close ties to the bloc. Ms Sturgeon said Brexit as a “mistake” by Boris Johnson and urged Scotland to leave the United Kingdom and rejoin the European Union as “soon as possible”.

She added in an EU Op-Ed for German publications, the first for 2021: “Scotland, like all nations, is unique.

“The same can be said of our constitutional circumstances.

“More and more people in Scotland believe our aspirations can best be met by continuing to contribute to the shared endeavour that the EU represents.

“We have been inside the European Union family of nations for nearly 50 years.

“We didn’t want to leave and we hope to join you again soon as an equal partner as we face the opportunities and challenges of the future together.”

The move has rattled officials in Angela Merkel’s administration who said they would like to develop diplomatic links with Scotland but claimed it was too early to talk about EU accession.

One senior Federal Foreign Department official told Express.co.uk: “Developing a relationship with Scotland and Germany is beneficial.

“But it is a bit early to be talking about accession to the EU, only fully independent states should be considering EU membership now.”

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It comes as Mike Russell, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary branded Brexit a “disaster” and claimed a vote for the SNP in May’s elections would be a “step towards normality”. 

Speaking in Holyrood, he added: “The only way back is to choose independence, like virtually all the other normal small countries in Europe have done.

“So post-pandemic, we will redouble our efforts to secure that goal, which will allow us to rebuild our economy and our society in the way we wish, not the way we are told to by a Tory UK Government that is the author of this terrible continuing and indeed worsening Brexit mess.

“We can make our next significant step towards normality on the 6th of May.”

Jamie Halcro Johnson, Scottish Tory MSP for Highlands and Islands claimed Mr Russell’s comments reflected the “the nationalist obsession” of the party.

He stressed that many businesses were “still adjusting to leaving the EU” and made clear the SNP led administration had the “serious economic challenges of Covid still to face.”

Anas Sarwar MSP, Scottish Labour’s Constitution spokesman branded Mr Russell’s comments as a “mess.”

In the 2016 Brexit referendum, a majority of Scots (62 percent) voted against leaving the EU.

Kirsty Hughes, director of the Scottish Council on European Relations think tank, said: “For people under 35 years of age, 70 or 80 percent are for independence and for the EU.”

Fabian Zuleeg, director of the European Policy Centre in Brussels, added: “Now only independence can create the possibility of EU membership, which is desired by the overwhelming majority of Scots.”