A FORMER member of the UK Government, who backed a No vote in 2014, has signalled he is moving towards supporting Scottish independence.

Labour peer Lord Adonis, who served as education minister under Tony Blair and transport minister under Gordon Brown, took to social media to give his new view, also underlining he now favoured Irish re-unification.

Becoming the latest figure to reconsider his opinion in the wake of the Brexit vote, he tweeted: “It is my view that if Brexit happens Scotland might be better off as a separate state within the European Union & that Northern Ireland would certainly be better off – and indeed may have no choice – to form a new state with the Republic of Ireland.”

Adonis is a prominent advocate for the UK remaining in the European Union and is also a high profile supporter of a second Brexit referendum.

Last month Billy Connolly indicated he was reconsidering his support for the Union saying independence may be the only way to remain in Europe. The comedian, who spoke out against independence ahead of the 2014 referendum, has now suggested European unity is more important than British unity.

Sir Billy, 75, who was knighted in 2017 for his services to entertainment and charity, said: “One thing I’ve never had any interest in is hating England and the English. I like Thomas Hardy as much as I like Robert Burns. As an Anglophile, I’ve never shouted for Scottish independence but I might be changing my mind now.”

Writing in his new book Made In Scotland, he added: “The Brexit vote is a disaster and the breaking up of the togetherness of Europe is a crime bordering on a sin. I think the more people are together, not separate, the happier they will be. I think it’s time for people to get together, not split apart. The most important thing for Scotland is to keep our contact with Europe. Scots voted to stay in Europe, and if the only way for us to do that is to become independent from England, that may just be the way to go.”