SNP campaigners are to target 50,000 Scots as part of a national day of action on independence, the party’s depute leader has announced.

Keith Brown said he wanted conversations to take place “in every corner” of Scotland about the “positive future” of independence.

The new push for independence comes amid growing concerns that Britain could have to leave the European Union (EU) without an agreed deal in place.

Mr Brown also wants to the SNP to take advantage of its size, with the party having recently overtaken the Conservatives to become the second largest in the UK in terms of membership.

He stated: “I am aiming to mobilise a huge number of party members to help make contact and have conversations with 50,000 people in every corner of the country on our day of action.”

The action day will take place on Saturday September 29, with much of the focus on how independence could offer Scotland an alternative to the “threat of Brexit”.

It is also part of efforts to get the SNP on to a “campaign footing” in case there is a snap general election.

Mr Brown said: “With 125,000 members, the SNP is now the second biggest political party in the UK, we have more members than the Tories and proportionally more than Labour do UK-wide.

“It is vital for us to harness this strength and utilise the potential of so many people.”

The former Scottish Government minister continued: “The Westminster parties are riddled with division and on the brink of implosion over Brexit – meanwhile our party and the independence movement have our sights on a far more positive future for Scotland as an independent country.

“A recent poll showed a majority would vote for Scottish independence after the UK leaves the European Union.

“The latest Social Attitudes Survey shows that the number of people view independence as a positive for Scotland’s economy now outnumber those who believe otherwise.

“So, a fortnight on Saturday, we’ll be talking to people on doorsteps up and down the country, listening to their thoughts and sharing new materials which will help win new supporters for an independent Scotland.”

Labour’s Neil Findlay said: “Anyone who has spent time on the doorsteps in the past year or so knows that people are sick and fed-up of the SNP’s obsessions with another independence referendum.

“The real divide in Scotland is between the richest and the rest of us – not the false divisions of another referendum.

“By coincidence, Labour also has a campaign day on that date – but we’ll be focused on our positive vision for the economy, to deliver better-paid jobs and high-quality public services.”

Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The SNP would be better off holding a day of action on health or education and backing it up with some concrete action in government.

“It’s absolutely indicative of the SNP’s priorities that they would rather bother the public about an independence referendum it does not want than address the real challenges facing our public services.”