A GROUP of Scottish Tories who want to see Scotland have access to the European single market are urging voters at the Holyrood election to cast their second vote for Alex Salmond’s Alba Party.

Scottish Yes Tories say around 15% of their members voted Yes in 2014, and they have seen steady growth in their group since the Brexit poll, “when 75% of Ruth Davidson’s Edinburgh Central constituents voted Remain”.

In a statement on social media, they said: “Our aim is to see Scotland have access to the single European market as soon as possible and that is why for this next election we are asking our party voters to vote Scottish Conservative 1 and Alba Party 2.

“Whereas the SNP policy is for full EU membership the Alba Party seems to support the [European Free Trade Association] EFTA and [European Economic Area] EEA membership first and that appears to be the fastest route to re-enter the single European market.

“Scottish exporters are hurting following Brexit and EEA membership would help repair that damage.”

The National contacted some of the group members, and one told us anonymously that they were not allowed to give interviews. However, they said support for independence was rising within the party.

“Ruth Davidson warned all party members that if any Scottish Conservative openly supported independence we would be thrown out of the party,” said our source.

“Our aim has always been to support any means to get Scotland back into the European single market. That is why we have agreed to support Scottish Conservatives 1 and Alba 2, as we believe Alba supports Scottish membership into EFTA and EEA and that would fulfil our main aim.

“We believe that support within Scottish Conservative voters has risen around 30% for some sort of independence.

“This should not surprise anyone as in Edinburgh Central 75% of our voters voted Remain in the EU referendum.”