Nicola Sturgeon has accused Ruth Davidson of transforming into an “arch-Brexiteer” as the Scottish Conservative leader is “cosying up to Boris Johnson”.

The SNP leader’s comments at First Minister’s Questions came after Ms Davidson said in a interview she had previously worked with Mr Johnson when he was foreign secretary and would work with whoever became Prime Minister in her party.

Ms Sturgeon further accused Ms Davidson of “flip-flopping”.

She said: “The difference perhaps between Ruth Davidson and I is this – I’ve got principles and I stick to my principles.

“Ruth Davidson wouldn’t recognise a principle. Ruth Davidson used to passionately oppose Brexit, now Ruth Davidson supports Brexit.

“She used to demand that we stayed in the single market, now she wants us taken out of the single market.

“And Ruth Davidson, of course, use to call Boris Johnson names that I can’t repeat in this chamber – now she is cosying up to Boris Johnson, the arch-Brexiteer.”

She added: “I think we see Ruth Davidson so desperate to cosy up to Boris Johnson today that her conversion to a hard Brexiteer is complete.”

Ms Davidson criticised the First Minister’s call for further referendums on independence and on Brexit.

She said: “This is about demanding more referendums until people are browbeaten into giving her the result that she wants.”

Ms Davidson added: “She talks about principle, well lets talk about a matter of principle.

“I believe that if you ask people to make a decision, if you say to people that we will enact whatever you decide, then democracy is fundamentally damaged if at the first opportunity you insist that vote is held again.

“Doesn’t she see that? Doesn’t she see that you shouldn’t change the rules after the event?”

Ms Sturgeon questioned how pushing ahead with Brexit would respect the 62% of people in Scotland who voted to remain in the EU.