MIKE Russell has accused David Mundell of lying over the SNP's Brexit stance. 

At a Joint Minesterial Committee (JMC) meeting Mundell claimed he was trying to get the best deal for Scotland and accused Russell of changing his position on a Brexit deal in the meeting to pursue an “independence agenda”.

He said: “The big change today was after 14 meetings where he had previously said what a bad outcome no deal would be for Scotland and the UK, Mike Russell said today SNP MPs would be backing no deal."

But the Scottish Brexit Secretary accused Mundell of lying.

He tweeted: "If press reports are correct then you have lied about my position at the JMC and must withdraw the quote “Mike Russell said today SNP MPs would be backing no deal”. I said we would not vote for PMs deal but would work with others to get an alternative."

Speaking as he left the JMC, Russell described Theresa May’s deal as “an emergency” that “must be stopped”.

“It’s an emergency for all the nations in in these islands to stop this deal,” he said. “This deal is a disastrous deal.

“Mundell knows the damage this will do to Scotland – it’s beyond belief and in those circumstances the first thing to do is to stop this deal.

“It is not this deal or nothing – that’s nonsense that is being sold vigorously by some of the people in that meeting.”

Russell said if the SNP was unable to stop the “unacceptable deal” then indyref2 should follow.

“The wrong thing to happen here is for Theresa May to dig in, which she has already done,  and just say she is the only one that has the answers,” he said.

“She is not and it’s important to say that.

“If the unacceptable deal goes through – and I never predict these things – there will be substantial economic damage and then I’m happy to say we will have to say to the people of Scotland ‘make your choice’.”