Wales should be given a referendum on leaving the UK if Scotland chooses to vote for independence, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has said.

Ms Wood said Scottish independence could spell “the end of the UK as a state” and suggested the people of Wales should be given a vote on whether they wished to remain in the union if Scotland chooses to leave.

She argued Wales “would need to decide its own future” and that the option of a remaining England and Wales entity was not on the ballot paper during the EU referendum.

“A national debate to explore all of the options, including that of an independent Wales, must take place in Wales when that scenario becomes a realistic one,” she said.

She added: “If the UK Government’s Brexit negotiation also leads to the Welsh national interest being overlooked, support will grow for greater control of our own affairs in Wales.

“We expect this situation to continue to evolve over the coming years, and Plaid Cymru will continue to articulate the Welsh national interest at all times.

“Now is a good time for the people of Wales to think about what is in our own national interests and how we can best unlock our country’s potential in this new constitutional scenario.”

Responding to Nicola Sturgeon’s call for a second referendum on Scottish independence earlier today, a UK Government spokesman said: “As the Prime Minister has set out, the UK Government seeks a future partnership with the EU that works for the whole of the United Kingdom.

“The UK Government will negotiate that agreement, but we will do so taking into account the interests of all of the nations of the UK.

“We have been working closely with all the devolved administrations – listening to their proposals, and recognising the many areas of common ground, including workers’ rights, the status of EU citizens living in the UK and our security from crime and terrorism.”