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The SNP is the only party offering Scotland a route back into the European Union, Energy Secretary Mairi McAllan has claimed.
She accused the Conservatives and Labour of having “utterly abandoned Scotland’s European future” at a general election campaign event with First Minister John Swinney.
Mr Swinney said a generation of young people had been “robbed of opportunity” by Westminster, citing Brexit, austerity and the cost of living crisis.
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The Liberal Democrats, who vehemently opposed Brexit before and after the 2016 referendum, have refused to confirm their manifesto would include a commitment to seek EU membership.
Ms McAllan, during a visit to the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh, echoed Mr Swinney’s comments, saying a “generation of young people are being let down by Westminster policies”.
On the EU membership, the SNP minister told BBC Scotland News: “We are now the only party who is looking to return Scotland to the EU, who values our position in the EU and values everything that that brings to people in Scotland and young people.”
Ms McAllan said that while that was not “going to happen tomorrow”, it would benefit Scotland financial and culturally.
She added that she benefited from the Erasmus scheme while she was at university, which allows students to study in other EU countries.
“It breaks my heart that young people don’t have that opportunity now,” Ms McAllan said.
“We’re the only party who is offering a route back to the EU.”
‘Stand firmly against austerity’
Both the Conservatives and Labour remain opposed to the UK rejoining the EU, and have also rejected the possibility of a youth mobility scheme between the EU and UK.
Ms McAllan, 31, said people about her age had lived their “entire adult life under Westminster austerity”.
“We are the only party who stand firmly against austerity,” she added, pointing to the Scottish government’s “progressive” tax regime which sees the country have six tax bands while the rest of the UK has three.
Ms McAllan said the move would be “welcomed” by businesses in Scotland.
The Scottish Greens, meanwhile, held a small photocall outside the UK government’s Edinburgh headquarters, claiming that UK ministers were “increasingly encroaching” on devolved areas.
Co-leader Lorna Slater used the event to argue that the first past the post voting system and the House of Lords were examples of “what’s wrong with the union.”
She also said that despite the party standing in more Westminster seats than ever before, their focus was on the next Scottish Parliament election in 2026.
She added: “We focus our energies where we can get many more MSPs elected.”
The Lib Dems, meanwhile, have pledged to “fix our broken politics”.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton called for a system of recall at Holyrood, similar to that used for MPs at Westminster.
His party also called for greater transparency, an end to what they call “government by WhatsApp”, and a written constitution for the UK.