NICOLA Sturgeon has been accused of becoming a “laughing stock” and leaving the SNP “in disarray” after appearing to flip-flop over independence and the general election.

The First Minister was rounded on by her Unionist critics at Holyrood after trying to decouple the constitutional question from the vote on June 8.

The change of tack came after a poll suggested the Scottish Tories, who have put opposing a second referendum at the heart of their campaign, could take 10 seats from the SNP.

Last week, in the immediate aftermath of Theresa May calling the snap election, Ms Sturgeon said a strong SNP result would “reinforce” her mandate for a second referendum.

She added: “Make no mistake - if the SNP wins this election in Scotland, and the Tories don’t, then Theresa May’s attempt to block our mandate to hold another referendum when the time is right will crumble to dust."

However on a visit to the STUC in Aviemore on Monday, the SNP leader said the election and the independence question were distinct, and she already had a referendum mandate.

“The election won’t decide whether or not Scotland becomes independent,” she said.

In the 2015 general election, the SNP manifesto explicitly stated the vote was not about independence, and the party recorded it best ever result, taking 56 of 59 Scottish seats.

But the Tories have since made significant strides in Scotland, doubling their MSPs at Holyrood last year, and the SNP’s tally of MPs is likely to be smaller this time.

That could make it hard for Ms Sturgeon to argue there is a public appetite for another referendum - hence the logic in saying the result is not about independence after all.

Citing a series of quotes from previous elections, the Scottish Conservatives said the SNP always downplayed independence, then claimed a mandate for it after the result regardless.

Leader Ruth Davidson said: “The First Minister risks turning herself into a laughing stock here.

“For the last few months, everyone in Scotland has seen her do nothing else but campaign for an unwanted second independence referendum.

“Yet now there's an election on, she suddenly tells people independence isn't the issue for her and orders her troops - don't mention the 'i' word.

“After the last few months of talking about nothing else, who does she think she's kidding?

“We've heard it all before. At every election, the SNP says the vote has nothing to do with independence. Afterwards, it claims that separation is ever closer.

“More and more people in Scotland have wised up to these nationalist games.

“And more and more of them know that only the Scottish Conservatives have what it takes to stop the SNP in its tracks and say no to its plans to split our country in two.

“This time round, she won't get away with it.”

Ms Sturgeon has demanded another referendum in late 2018 or early 2019, so voters can choose between Brexit in the UK or pro-European independence.

However an exclusive BMG/Herald poll this week found most Scots opposed to another referendum before 2021.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "Nicola Sturgeon has lost the plot.

“For months she has been having a tantrum - demanding Scots have another independence referendum so we could stay in Europe. When support dropped she got cold feet.

“First she watered down her EU policy to keep Brexit supporters on board. Now she is backing off independence to stop her party shedding votes in the general election.

“This is a party in disarray. Nicola Sturgeon should not take voters for fools.

“She'll tell them now that the general election is not about independence but will be straight back onto the independence agenda once the election is over.”