The First Minister has urged Theresa May to reconsider the Scottish Government's proposal for the UK to remain inside the EU's single market and customs union.

Nicola Sturgeon repeated her calls for a reversal of UK Government policy after the Prime Minister set out plans to accept some EU regulations and continue paying into some agencies after Brexit in a speech on Friday.

May said the UK would be willing to have "associate membership" with the organisation's medicines, chemical and aviation agencies even after the country leaves next year.

The Prime Minister also used her address to warn the EU that the final deal "must strengthen" the UK's own "union of nations and our union of people".

The SNP leader said the Prime Minister's offer to Brussels only served to highlight contradictions in her position, and make her decision to leave both the customs union and single market "all the more bizarre".

"She accepted that access to the single market-the world's biggest marketplace and one around eight times bigger than the UK's alone-would be reduced, yet said she would leave the single market and customs union anyway, even though her own government's analysis shows this will cost jobs and cut living standards," said Sturgeon

"The EU has already rejected the Prime Minister's wish-list approach but even if she can somehow persuade them to adopt everything in this speech we will still get a worse deal than we have today.

"She identified some of the contradictions in her government's position, but did little to resolve them."

The First Minister added: "Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU and it is time for the UK Government to take seriously the proposals we have made to keep Scotland and the whole of the UK in the single market and customs union."

May pledged to listen to all views on the debate, and represent Scotland, but she appeared unwilling to reconsider the Scottish Government's proposals.

On the Brexit deal, the Prime Minister said: "It must strengthen our union of nations and our union of people.

"We must bring our country back together, taking into account the views of everyone who cares about this issue, from both sides of the debate.

"As Prime Minister it is my duty to represent all of our United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; north and south, from coastal towns and rural villages to our great cities."