Nicola Sturgeon's career would be "finished" if she lost a second independence referendum, Alistair Darling has said.

Darling, who led the Better Together campaign during the 2014 independence referendum, told BBC Radio Scotland the First Minister is in "no rush" to hold a second referendum as he believes a majority of Scots would vote against independence again.

The former chancellor's comments comes a day after the second anniversary of the 2014 referendum.

Darling said: "I don't think it will happen any time soon at all. Nothing has changed since 2014 ... in that roughly speaking 45% of the population would vote for independence, 55% would vote against it.

"That's where we are and Nicola Sturgeon is not going to risk everything, her reputation - she has seen what has happened to David Cameron, who the only thing people will remember about him I suspect when history is written in years to come is that he accidentally got us out of the EU and he didn't want it.

The former Labour MP added: "If she loses, she knows she would be finished. That's why she is in no hurry to rush into it.

"Things will change from day to day, month to month, year to year, but on the fundamental point on the question of Scottish independence, nothing much has changed in the last two years."

A recent poll for STV News indicated a majority of Scots do not want a second referendum within the next two years and if there was one to be held then a majority would again reject independence.

Following the EU referendum result in June, Sturgeon said it was "highly likely" a second independence vote would be held.

The First Minister has since instructed her ministers to draw up draft legislation for a referendum bill which she will put to Holyrood if she believes independence is the only way to protect Scotland's relationship with the EU.