NICOLA Sturgeon has sensationally claimed Kezia Dugdale promised her that Labour would drop their opposition to a second independence referendum in the wake of the Brexit vote.

During the STV debate last night, the SNP leader said that in a private phone conversation between the two on June 25, Dugdale had said the Leave result would mean a change of heart in the Labour party.

“I respect the fact that many people disagree with me on a referendum and independence,” said Sturgeon. “But I also believe that Scotland needs to have a choice at the right time in the future because the consequences of not having a choice that we may have to accept a disastrous Brexit.

“You [Dugdale] used to agree with me on that. You and I spoke the day after the EU referendum and you told me then that you thought the change with Brexit meant that Labour should stop opposing a referendum.”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson then questioned Sturgeon further on the admission, with the First Minister elaborating: “She said that she thought Brexit changed everything and that she didn’t think Labour could go on opposing a second independence referendum”.

Dugdale said it simply wasn’t true.

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Furious Labour spinners accused the First Minister of telling a blatant falsehood.

Anas Sarwar from the party tweeted: “This desperate lie shows how badly Sturgeon wants the Tories to win this election. Absolute disgrace.”

Dugdale had revealed the secret talks with Sturgeon after the Brexit vote in an interview with The Times in February this year, but didn’t mention her offer of support for an independence referendum.

She said then that she had “pledged at that point to do everything I could, with the powers I had, to support Scotland having as strong a relationship with the rest of Europe as possible”.

It’s clear the SNP had been frustrated by what they saw as Dugdale’s change of heart.

After the revelation, Colin McAllister, one of the First Minister’s special advisers, tweeted: “Sometimes the sheer hypocrisy of public positions needs to be exposed.”

At the end of the debate, Dugdale was offered the opportunity to respond again to the SNP leader’s claim.

“The idea that I would do anything other than protect the UK and fight to stay in the Union is absolute nonsense.”

Up until then it had been the usual debate fare of Sturgeon versus the leaders of the No to a divisive independence referendum party.

Reserved, and devolved, issues were all in the mix, but the televised contest between Sturgeon, Dugdale, Davidson, and LibDem leader Willie Rennie was dominated by Scottish independence.

The real winners of the debate may have been viewers outside Scotland who got to watch the British Soap Awards instead.

But even so, last night in Glasgow’s Tron theatre, there was plenty of soap-style drama, cliffhangers and shock revelations.

The first question came from an audience member who said she was undecided and asked the politicians to convince her.

Sturgeon warned the woman Tory MPs would end up being a “rubber stamp” for Theresa May’s proposals, including an “extreme Brexit”.

Davidson insisted Scots needed to elect “local champions” rather than “nationalist MPs who are more interested in division for delivering”.

Rennie said the election was a “chance to change the direction of the country” to “turn away from another divisive independence referendum”.

Dugdale claimed her party would deliver “opposition to a second independence referendum if you vote Labour on Thursday”.

When host Bernard Ponsonby asked the audience member what she thought, she replied: “It was pretty much what I’ve heard over and over again.”

There were two sections to the debate, the traditonal politician behind podiums being quizzed by the audience, and then each leader in turn getting individually probed by the three others.

Sparks came when Davidson was pushed by Sturgeon, Dugdale, and Rennie on the rape clause exemption to the two child tax credit cap.

Though prepared for the question, she was clearly uncomfortable.

“You could use that money that is going to the richest to get rid of that two-child tax cap and the rape clause,” Sturgeon said.

“Why don’t you ask your bosses in Westminster to make that choice and remove the rape clause once and for all?

Sturgeon told Davidson: “Your Tory Party is just as callous and heartless as it has always been, is it not?”