NICOLA Sturgeon has hit out at Theresa May's "desperate" public plea for support for her Brexit plan in a letter to the nation, saying "almost nothing" in it was true.

In the letter, published before the Prime Minister met the other 27 EU leaders in Brussels, Mrs May said leaving the EU on March 29 2019 would mark "a new chapter in our national life".

She claimed the deal, endorsed this morning by European leaders, "works for every part of our country - for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, for our Overseas Territories like Gibraltar, and also for the Crown Dependencies".

The 800-word message stressed the result of the EU referendum in 2016 would be honoured and that freedom of movement would end.

It also stated that the UK would "take back control" of laws and money which, it suggested, could be spent on the NHS.

But the First Minister hit out, tweeting: "I don't say this lightly, but almost nothing in this desperate letter is true.

"This is a bad deal, driven by the PM's self-defeating red lines and continual pandering to the right of her own party. Parliament should reject it and back a better alternative - SM/CU or #PeoplesVote."

Ms Sturgeon also took to social media to challenge Mrs May to a head-to-head debate on the Brexit deal, saying: “I can’t speak for @jeremycorbyn but I’d be up for a full leaders debate on the ‘deal’. So, how about it PM @theresa_may?”

As EU leaders endorsed the deal earlier today, Michael Russell, the Scottish Government’s Constitutional Relations Secretary, insisted it did “not work for Scotland".

He explained: "It takes Scotland out of the European Union against our democratic wishes, it removes us from the single market against our economic interests, and it would put us at a competitive economic disadvantage compared to Northern Ireland.”

Mr Russell added: "The only thing it guarantees is years of damaging uncertainty, which will cost jobs and hit living standards and, by ending freedom of movement, will make it harder to attract the staff we need for our NHS

"That is why the Scottish Government will now work with others to get a better deal for Scotland within the European single market and customs union - which is eight times bigger than the UK market alone - and why we support another referendum on EU membership."