FIRST MINISTER OF SCOTLAND/GETTY Mr Russell has been caught out making false claims that his party met with Spain over Brexit

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Mike Russell, responsible for Scotland's EU negotiations, was left red-faced after making the inaccurate assertions while addressing an audience in Brussels. He told EU officials the party had discussed a separate Brexit deal for Scotland with officials in Madrid - a claim which was last night vehemently denied by the Spanish Government. Mr Russell was also slammed by opponents for exaggerating the level of Scottish support for the EU - telling delegates that "five million" Scots voted to Remain in the EU.

I am not going to reveal everybody's conversations but I think you can take it that, as intelligent people, we would not be talking in these terms unless we were having conversations Mike Russell

In fact, just 1.6 million voted to Remain, with one million voting to Leave. Last night, the politician was under pressure to "urgently clarify" his comments. At the event on Monday, Mr Russell was asked if he had been in contact with the Spanish about the SNP's plans for a separate Scottish deal on Brexit..

He replied: "I am not going to reveal everybody's conversations but I think you can take it that, as intelligent people, we would not be talking in these terms unless we were having conversations." But last night, a spokesman for Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs insisted no such talks had taken place.

Royal opening of Scottish Parliament Sat, July 2, 2016 The Queen opens Scottish Parliament. Play slideshow 1 of 18

TWITTER/IAN DUNCAN Tory MEP Ian Duncan last night accused Mr Russell of going on 'a flight of fancy'

A senior Spanish Government source added: "The EU has decided not to start any negotiation before notification under Article 50. "We don't know yet what exactly the UK wants to negotiate, even less can we see how could the EU already start to deal with exceptions." Mr Russell also incorrectly claimed that apart from four Tory MSPs, nobody in the Scottish Parliament supported Brexit.

GETTY Mr Russell said nobody in the Scottish Parliament supported Brexit except for four Tory MSPs

SNP MSP Alex Neil has already revealed he voted Leave, with six fellow SNP MSPs thought to have done the same. Tory MEP Ian Duncan last night accused Mr Russell of going on "a flight of fancy" in front of a "sympathetic" audience.

SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY SNP MSP Alex Neil has already revealed he voted Leave