ANOTHER independence referendum is “the last thing Scotland needs,” MSP Neil Findlay said today.

The Scottish Labour Brexit spokesman hit out as a new poll showed less than a quarter of voters would back a fresh vote in the wake of Britain leaving the EU.

The Ipsos Mori study found that that while 41 per cent back another independence vote before the next Scottish Parliament elections in 2021, only 22 per cent said Brexit should prompt a second ballot on leaving Britain.

Nearly half (47 per cent) of the 1,050 people surveyed for STV News were totally opposed to another vote on independence.

In the event of such a poll, 50 per cent said they would vote No, with 46 per cent voting Yes. Four per cent were undecided or refused to say.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said in January that independence “must remain an option” amid the “horror show” of Brexit.

But Mr Findlay told the Star: “What is becoming more evident by the day is that people are seeing the complication of having to unravel 40 years of economic convergence with the EU, along with the chaos that would come from trying to unravel 300 years of social, economic and political convergence with the rest of Britain.

“Pouring the uncertainty of another independence referendum on top of the uncertainty of Brexit is the last thing Scotland needs at this point.”

Support for an independent Scotland was highest among 25 to 34-year-olds at 59 per cent. Among over-55s, 62 per cent said they would vote against.

The poll, conducted between March 5 and 11, also showed Scottish Labour pass the Tories in Westminster voting intentions, placing it second to the SNP.

Nationalists took 39 per cent of the vote share, with Labour on 26 and the Tories on 25 per cent.

Six per cent said they would back the Liberal Democrats, and 4 per cent opted for other parties.

In last year’s general election the SNP took 37 per cent, the Conservatives 29 per cent and Labour 27 per cent north of the border.

Holyrood’s SNP finance secretary Derek Mackay said: “An overwhelming majority are worried about the damage of a hard Brexit to jobs and our economy.

“And they’re right to be concerned — even the UK government’s own analysis shows we’re headed for economic disaster unless we protect Scotland’s place in the single market.”

At Scottish Labour’s conference last week, party leader Richard Leonard faced down calls from right-wingers to commit Labour to single market membership.