REFERENDUM

SP: “If, on May 6, people vote to accept Nicola Sturgeon’s argument to hold a second referendum within the first half of the next parliament, what right would your party or any other party have to block that?”

DR: “I want to stop another referendum because I think it would be divisive and damaging particularly in our recovery phase.

“Nicola Sturgeon has now confirmed she wants to hold that second independence referendum in the first couple of years of this parliament and she’s accepted that means during the recovery as we’re looking to protect people’s jobs, trying to rebuild our economy, trying to get back to normal, the SNP want to take us through a second damaging, divisive independence referendum and clearly we were able to stop that five years ago by more than doubling the number of Conservative MSPs which stopped the SNP getting a majority and stopped another independence referendum.”

SP: “Is there any benefit in, if people do vote to be allowed to have that choice again and you then say ‘let’s have another referendum’ and you campaign against, as you did in 2014, and that could put the issue to bed once and for all.”

DR: “We were told the issue would be put to bed once and for all in 2014.

“The SNP put in their White Paper, it was a once in a generation opportunity and both sides agreed it would respect the result of that referendum and I think the problem we have as we try to focus on our recovery is the uncertainty another referendum would bring.

“And why would a second referendum finally determine things. If the SNP and the nationalist didn’t get their way a second time there would a third, fourth, fifth and however many until they think Scotland votes the way they want them to.

“So, I just think particularly during our recovery phase as we are rebuilding Scotland, we don’t want another referendum.”

SP: “You think the SNP would never accept the result as long as it’s a no vote?

DR: “I don’t think the nationalists would ever accept a result in a referendum unless it was to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK because that’s exactly what’s happened since 2104.

“They have campaigned ever since to hold another referendum to try and deliver a different result.

“I accept that is their political position but I don’t think it helps our country recover.”