KEZIA Dugdale says the fibgate row over her supposed support for a second independence referendum intensified could damage the economy and hit trust in the government.

The Labour leader also accused the First Minister of being a liar and engaging in gutter politics.

On Tuesday night, in the last televised debate of the campaign, Nicola Sturgeon said she had been told by Dugdale in a private phone call on the day after the Brexit vote that Labour could be persuaded to drop its opposition to a second vote on independence.

Writing in both the Times, and in the Daily Mail, the Scottish Labour boss said Sturgeon had told a “categorical lie, plain and simple”.

Dugdale said she had been campaigning against independence all her life, and had made opposition to another referendum a key part of Labour’s campaign, In The Times, Dugdale wrote: “In a live TV leaders’ debate, the SNP leader claimed I had told her, in a private telephone conversation, that I would drop my long-standing opposition to a second independence referendum. It was a categorical lie, plain and simple.”

In the Daily Mail she said the First Minister’s decision to “misrepresent” a private conversation would damage trust in the Government.

“Across Scotland today there are countless people who will now have reservations about ever speaking to Nicola Sturgeon again.

“That could harm our economy and without doubt erode trust in Government. Nicola Sturgeon’s character and her judgement is now on the ballot paper”.

During Wednesday’s First Minister’s Questions, Sturgeon had doubled down, saying she stood by the claims, “100 per cent”.

Dugdale had to be reprimanded by Holyrood Presiding Officer Ken MacIntosh after she accused the SNP leader of telling a “fib” and not telling the truth.

Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson had opened the session asking why the First Minister did not “believe that private conversations should not stay private”.

The SNP leader replied that it was Dugdale who had first revealed the “secret talks” in an interview with The Times on February.

“Of course, the part of the conversation that Kezia Dugdale did not refer to was the part that I spoke about last night, which I stand by 100 per cent,” Sturgeon said.

She later added: “I stand by what I said last night 100 per cent. In fact, if anybody reads what Labour and Kezia Dugdale were saying in public around that time, they will hear the ring of truth about what I said: Labour itself was saying that all options, including an independence referendum, were under consideration. That is the reality; it is on the record. There is an article on Labour’s website even today confirming that.”

Dugdale said the row had shown “that the First Minister will say anything to deflect from the Scottish National Party’s appalling record in office.“ Sturgeon replied: “I know what was said in that conversation, and so does she. I am standing here in the chamber of the Scottish Parliament and I am certain of what was said.

“Do you know what? There is nothing whatsoever wrong with Kezia Dugdale having changed her mind since then, but what is wrong is for her, having held that view, to suggest that people who still hold that view are somehow expressing something unacceptable. That is not legitimate.”

Last month Jeremy Corbyn said people in Scotland had a right to hold an independence referendum, putting him at odds with Dugdale.

The Labour leader said he would allow a new referendum “if the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish people want it” because that is the “whole point” of devolution.

In March, a majority of MSPs voted in favour of requesting a Section 30 order to allow a referendum.

Dugdale’s decision to write a column to the Daily Mail was surprising given its hysterical opposition to Corbyn and Labour.

A day earlier the paper had run 13 pages attacking the party under the headline: “Apologists for terror.”

The National: