THE SNP’s Alyn Smith has been warmly applauded by Donald Tusk and other key political leaders in Strasbourg after urging MEPs to “leave the light on” for an independent Scotland to rejoin the European Union.

In what may have been his last speech as a member of the European Parliament, Smith said the UK’s expected departure from the EU was a “self-inflicted disaster”.

He continued: “If Scotland is removed from our family of nations against our will, against our clearly democratically-expressed view, if we are removed against our will, independence will be our only route back.

“Cher colleagues, I’m not asking you to solve our domestic discussions. I am asking you to leave a light on so we can find our way home.”

The speech received widespread support, including from Tusk, the president of the European Council, who was among the politicians across the chamber to clap.

Some 62% of people north of the Border voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum, with Nicola Sturgeon saying the overall UK vote to leave means Scotland faces being taken out of the bloc “against its will”.

The First Minister is due to set out her thinking on a second independence referendum in the near future, and said on Sunday another vote on the issue was “as inevitable as it’s possible to be”.

Smith added: “Every single party in Scotland except the Conservatives are united around the view that the best Brexit is no Brexit.

“So colleagues, please, don’t close the door on us now. There are a lot of us in Scotland and across the UK, working hard to turn this round, to serve our citizens, to remain within this family of nations.

“In what might be my last speech in this place after 15 years serving our European people, we don’t know what’s in the UK’s future.

“We don’t know what’s in any of our future and the forces of populism are gathering in all our nations. We don’t know what’s in the UK’s future but I do know Scotland is a European nation.

“We celebrate international solidarity. We celebrate freedom of movement. If the European Union didn’t exist, we would have to invent something like it, and Scotland would want to be part of it.”

Earlier in the European Parliament’s debate on Brexit, Tusk issued a rallying call to the “increasing majority” people in the UK who want to cancel Brexit and stay in the EU.

In a stirring intervention, he praised those who marched on the streets of London at the weekend and the millions who are petitioning the government to revoke article 50.

Tusk reprimanded politicians in Europe who have voiced concerns about a potential lengthy extension to article 50 in the event of the Commons rejecting the withdrawal agreement again this week.

“Let me make one personal remark to the members of this parliament. Before the European Council, I said we should be open to a long extension if the UK wishes to rethink its Brexit strategy, which would of course mean the UK’s participation in the European Parliament elections.

“And then there were voices saying that this would be harmful or inconvenient to some of you. Let me be clear: such thinking is unacceptable.

“You cannot betray the 6 million people who signed the petition to revoke article 50, the 1 million people who marched for a people’s vote, or the increasing majority of people who want to remain in the European Union.”

“They may feel that they are not sufficiently represented by the UK Parliament, but they must feel that they are represented by you in this chamber. Because they are Europeans.”

Ex Ukip leader Nigel Farage MEP heckled Tusk and responded by describing him as “deluded” and claiming that a second referendum would deliver a larger majority for leave.