SCOTTISH independence has been made “much more credible” by Brexit, former Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday.

The surprise intervention in Scotland’s constitutional debate by the ex-Labour leader came as Blair started his comeback into British politics, saying it would be his “mission” to persuade Leave voters to change their mind on Brexit.

In a speech in London, Blair accused the Tories of pursuing “Brexit at any cost”.

“Yes, the British people voted to leave Europe. And I agree the will of the people should prevail. I accept right now there is no widespread appetite to re-think. But the people voted without knowledge of the terms of Brexit,” he argued.

Leave voters, he claimed, had backed Brexit without knowing the full implications, and had done so primarily because of immigration and because of ramped up fears over non-EU migrants.

“It was Donald Trump, no less, who said without the refugees from Syria, ‘you probably wouldn’t have a Brexit’,” Blair argued. “It is no coincidence that the infamous immigration poster of Leave was a picture of Mr Farage in front of a line of Syrian people.”

He went on to say he would question whether that ignorance meant the referendum really provides a mandate for “Brexit at any cost.”

“The argument is then that the British people have spoken; we must deliver their will; and we should just ‘get on with it’. I agree ‘getting on with it’ is a very powerful sentiment, at present the predominant sentiment.

“But were we to be true to the concept of Government through British Parliamentary democracy, rather than Government by one-off plebiscite, we would also feel obliged to point out that it isn’t a question of just ‘getting on with it’. This is not a decision that once made is then a mere matter of mechanics to implement.

“It is a decision which then begets many other decisions. Every part of this negotiation from money to access to post-Brexit arrangements is itself an immense decision with consequences.

“If we were in a rational world, we would all the time, as we approach those decisions, be asking: why are we doing this and as we know more of the costs, is the pain worth the gain?”

On Scotland, he said “the possibility of the break-up of the UK” was “now back on the table, but this time with a context much more credible for the independence case.”

Questioned following the speech, he added: “I want Scotland to remain in the UK. Even if Brexit goes ahead, I’m still in favour of Scotland remaining in the UK.

“Let’s be very clear, Scotland’s single market with England is of far greater importance to it economically than Scotland’s interaction with the rest of Europe.

“When myself and John Major warned this would be a threat to the UK we meant it, and it was true, and you can see that by the [independence] referendum coming back on the agenda.”

Nicola Sturgeon said Blair was “just stating the obvious.” The SNP leader told the BBC: “The independence argument is now very different than it was even in 2014, and is even more compelling than it was in 2014.

“What Brexit has shown is that within the UK Scotland’s voice isn’t listened to, and doesn’t appear to count for much. So the argument for taking control, taking charge of our own future, of our own society and our place in the world becomes ever more strong.”

Blair’s intervention, and his accusation that perhaps people had voted Leave not knowing exactly what they were choosing, infuriated Brexiteers.

Michael Gove said: “Tony Blair had his say during the referendum – he should now respect the fact that the British people voted to leave.”

The failed Tory leadership contender claimed Blair should “work with the Government to make a success of Brexit instead of trying to undermine British democracy.”

Blair’s reappearance reopened the divisions in Labour. During his speech he accused a debilitated Labour party of being “the facilitator of Brexit,” claiming the “the absence of an Opposition which looks capable on the polls of beating the Government” would lead to hard Brexit.

“No wonder we are still trying to recover from Tony Blair’s legacy when he has such contempt for democracy,” a Labour source said.