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Sturgeon claims UK Government scared of second referendum

The UK Government is running scared of a second independence referendum, Nicola Sturgeon has claimed after the defence secretary threatened to block another constitutional vote.

Sir Michael Fallon had said the Conservative administration would refuse to grant the First Minister the power to stage a re-run of the 2014 contest.

Asked whether the Tories would sign off another plebiscite, he told The Herald: “No, forget it.”

But he appeared to row back on that stance in an interview on Good Morning Scotland, in which he told Ms Sturgeon to “forget all that stuff and get on with the day job”.

The SNP leader, who has said a return to the ballot box over Scotland going it alone is “highly likely”, reacted angrily at First Minister’s Questions.

She said: “The mandate of this Government in relation to this is unequivocal – it was the Tories after all that put us in the position of being taken out of the European Union against our will and with the support of only one of the 59 MPs in this country.

“Strange is it not that a Tory Party that proclaims it would be so confident of

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wouldOn whether facilitate the anotherUK Government referendum, Mr Fallon said: “No, forget it. The respect agenda is two-way.

“She (the First Minister) is constantly asking us to respect the SNP Government but she has to respect the decision of Scotland to stay inside the UK in 2014 and the decision of the UK to leave the EU. Respect works two ways.”

He added that he does not believe the SNP has a mandate to hold another one.

Scottish secretary David Mundell has previously said there could be another independence referendum, but that it would not be in Scotland’s interests.

Given Sir Michael’s “forget it” comments, a No 10 spokeswoman was asked if the UK Government would refuse to grant permission if the Scottish Government asked for a second referendum before 2020.

She said: “We’re not at that stage yet. If that happens, you can ask me.”

It was the Tories after all that put us in the position of being taken out of the European Union against our will. NICOLA STURGEON

Pictures: Steve MacDougall. From left: Defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon presenting PO Ian Dixon with a medal at RM Condor, training under way at the Angus base, and Courier political editor Kieran Andrews talking to Sir Michael during a visit to DC Thomson & Co’s Kingsway...