SCOTLAND’S no-deal Brexit preparations have been “intensified” as Britain gets closer to crashing out of Europe with no agreement with the EU in place.

With just 71 days to go until the UK leaves the EU, the SNP Brexit Minister, Michael Russell, said the government was now making decisions on what medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables, would need to be stockpiled.

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He said it was “necessary, if regrettable, for the Scottish Government to go on with and, indeed, intensify its work to prepare as best it can” for the possibility of crashing out without a deal.

“To that end, we continue to engage with the UK Government on our planning and preparations for a potential no-deal outcome.

“We are making every effort to ensure that the vital importance of getting the information that we need is recognised.

“The Scottish Government resilience committee now meets weekly to manage and escalate matters, as needed, supported by a rapid response group of officials, which will grow as need requires.

“We have a public information campaign in the final stages of development, and we are making initial decisions on issues such as the stockpiling of medicine, medical devices and clinical consumables, emergency transportation, support or supply chains, diversion of local produce and a host of other issues.

“All that activity has become a significant focus of our resources and efforts, as it has to be for a responsible government. However, it remains the case that the UK Government could and should choose today to remove that risk and cost.”

Russell called for a second referendum on EU membership “to break the logjam that has now paralysed politics at Westminster”.

He also urged UK ministers to extend the Article 50 timetable for negotiations.

He reminded Holyrood the SNP had won the 2016 Scottish Parliament election on a manifesto that included the possibility of a second Scottish independence referendum if there was a significant material change in circumstances from the 2014 vote – when Scots opted by 55% to 45% to stay in the UK. We’re ready for and indeed would relish a general election fought on the issue of Brexit and Scotland’s future,” Russell said.

Scottish Tory constitutional spokesman Adam Tomkins said Russell’s statement was “yet another reminder that for the SNP, Brexit is not about our future relations with Europe – for them Brexit like everything else is all about independence”.

He also stressed he does not support a no-deal Brexit, but said the “cold hard truth” is that those who voted against the PM – including SNP MPs – had “made a no-deal Brexit all the more likely”.

He asked if the SNP would “play a constructive role in cross-party talks” or instead “retreat to the familiar playground politics of playing to the Nationalist gallery and bang on only about independence”.

Scottish Labour Brexit spokesman Neil Findlay said May should have resigned after Tuesday night’s defeat, as he called for a General Election.

He said the vote in the Commons was “an abject humiliation” for the Prime Minister which leaves her “without a shred of credibility”.

The Labour MSP added: “If the Prime Minister had an ounce of self-awareness she would have resigned immediately ... this deal is dead.”