NICOLA Sturgeon has increased the expectations of a bid for a second Scottish referendum in the midst of Brexit.

She said independence offered Scotland the chance to “aim higher and do better”.

The First Minister’s declaration came in Twitter exchanges as she dismissed a “pretty skewed logic” a suggestion to make 2019 the year to end the pipe dream of a second vote on Scotland’s future, reports our sister site The Herald.

Before Christmas, Ms Sturgeon once again delayed a decision on calling for so-called indyref2, saying she would “wait until the dust settles,” or until after MPs have their meaningful vote on Theresa May’s Brexit plan due in two weeks’ time.

But by talking up the attractions of independence in the midst of the Brexit crisis, the SNP leader will only fuel expectations among her party’s grassroots.

Nationalist MPs are already talking up the prospect of another independence referendum this year should the UK crash out of the EU.

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However, in response to the First Minister’s tweet, Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said: “Brexit has demonstrated precisely how difficult it is to negotiate a deal to leave a close political union between nations.

“When you see how hard it is to leave the EU, just imagine the upheaval of leaving the UK; a 300-year-old union compared to a 45-year one; and one which is significantly more entwined.”

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The former Labour MP added: “Our trade with the rest of the UK is worth four times our trade with the EU and Scottish independence would be eight times as costly as the worst-case Brexit.

“The majority of people in Scotland know that we are better off together with a shared culture and history we can build our future on.

“Nicola Sturgeon needs to accept reality and she should take the threat of a divisive second independence referendum off the table.”