NICOLA Sturgeon put freedom of movement at the heart of her argument for remaining in the single market as she underlined the benefits to Scotland of attracting workers from mainland Europe.

The new analysis published by the Scottish Government highlighted that EU citizens contribute around £4.4 billion a year — the equivalent to £10,400 for each one a year — to the Scottish economy and warned without them the population would fall causing major problems for growth and ability to raise revenue for vital services.

“All of the increase in Scotland’s population over the next decade is expected to come from people moving here. Without immigration the number of people of working age, working and paying towards public services in Scotland is likely to fall,” said the document Scotland’s Place in Europe: People, Jobs and Investment.

The research highlighted that the 219,000 EU nationals living in Scotland make up just over four per cent of the country’s population with some 24,000 working in tourism and 10,000 employed in the food and drink sector. It pointed out 35 per cent of EU nationals are educated to degree level or higher.

Speaking in Edinburgh yesterday as she unveiled the new report Sturgeon delivered a stark warning: “Over the next 25 years our own projected birthrate will not be sufficient to grow our population. In the period to 2041, all our projected population growth will come from inward migration.

“Without that our population could go into decline and with it our ability to grow our economy and fund our public services. That would be the stark reality for Scotland of a restriction in our ability to attract people to our country.

“That is why, as First Minister, I have a duty to make the case for free movement, no matter how difficult that is sometimes perceived to be.”

The report underlined Scotland faces a different challenge from the rest of the UK in terms of population growth if EU migration levels fall, with the rest of the UK seeing its population grow even if free movement ended.

“In scenarios where future EU migration is constrained, the population is projected to peak in the 2030s and then decline after that point. In contrast the UK overall continues to see its population increase every year over the next 25 years,” said the report.

She criticised UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying “time is running out” for the party to adopt a clear stance in favour of single market membership.

Asked if she thought she could change Theresa May’s mind on the issue, she added: “Who knows whether Theresa May will even be Prime Minister by the time these negotiations conclude?

“There are voices within the Conservative Party that would argue for a softer Brexit and for single market membership, but put that to one side there is I believe a majority outside of the Conservative Party. I think the bigger issue to get to that majority is to get Jeremy Corbyn off of the ridiculous position he is in.”

Sturgeon also took issue with the UK Government who she said wrongly characterised her position on continued single market membership as forcing Scotland to choose between trade with the rest of the UK and trade with the EU. “The characterisation of our position by my opponent is wrong, often knowingly and deliberately so,” she told reporters. “I do not want to compromise or give up trade between Scotland and the rest of the UK or these islands generally and there is absolutely nothing that should make us say that that is necessary.” She added: “This is not an either/or for Scotland, this is about making sure we can continue to trade with the UK ... build and strengthen that trade which is important because England trades a lot with Scotland and vice versa. But it is not a choice between that and trading in the single market with the rest of Europe.”