The Scottish Liberal Democrats will consider a conference motion that opponents claim could lead to the party backing independence.

At the party’s autumn conference in Dunfermline at the weekend, members will vote on a motion which says Scotland may have to choose its links to Europe “at the expense of” links to the UK.

The Scottish Conservatives said the motion showed the Lib Dems could not be trusted to oppose independence and back Scotland’s place in the UK. But those advancing the resolution insisted it was merely an endorsement of federalism, which the Lib Dems have long proposed as the solution to Britain’s constitutional complexities.

The Scottish Lib Dems oppose independence and party leader Willie Rennie will not vote in favour of the proposal.

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The Lib Dems are strongly in favour of European integration and at a UK level are campaigning for a second referendum on the terms of a Brexit deal.

The Brexit vote in June led to some members voicing support for a second referendum on Scottish independence to protect the country’s place in Europe.

The motion, titled, A Liberal Scotland in Europe, will be summed up by Christine Jardine, a former candidate for Alex Salmond’s Gordon constituency.

It says: “There is a risk that significant elements of Scotland’s continuing participation in the European community may no longer be possible for as long as it remains in the United Kingdom, and regretfully recognises that Scotland may eventually be forced to prioritise integration with one of these unions at the expense of integration with the other.”

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Speaking to STV News, Jardine said: “The aim of the motion is to find a way ahead that is neither the narrow nationalism of the SNP nor the Brexit-committed nationalism of the Tories.

“The majority of people in Scotland want to remain in both the UK and the EU. We believe it’s our responsibility to explore every possible constitutional arrangement – especially a federal one – which would allow that to happen.

“Neither SNP independence nor Tory Brexit allow the people of Scotland that option.”

However, the Scottish Conservatives seized on the motion as evidence of the Lib Dems lacking commitment to the Union.

MSP Murdo Fraser said: “The Liberal Democrats stood with us two years ago in the campaign to keep the UK together.

“Now it seems one of the main themes of their conference will be to reverse that and get on board with the SNP.

“This motion clearly suggests the EU market is more important to Scotland than the UK one, yet nothing could be further from the truth.”

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He added: “We know Willie Rennie wanted the UK to remain part of the EU but he needs to explain now if he thinks jeopardising Scotland’s place in Britain is a price worth paying for that.”

It is understood the motion will have a slim chance of passing and will not be backed by the party’s five MSPs.

A spokesman for the Scottish Lib Dems said: “Unlike the Conservatives we allow internal debate in our party.

“Murdo Fraser needs to understand that debating independence does not mean the party supports independence.

“Willie Rennie is confident the conference will reject this motion and endorse the long-standing pro-UK policy of the Liberal Democrats.”