Sturgeon vows to hold poll within two years

Cross-border war of words intensifies

Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to hold a second independence referendum within two years despite a robust rejection of her plan from Theresa May.

A furious First Minister claimed yesterday could be “the day the fate of the Union was sealed” as she refused to rule out holding an unauthorised ballot.

The Prime Minister said “now is not the time” to hold another vote, while Scottish Secretary David Mundell said no talks would take place with SNP ministers on the issue. He said the UK Government “will not be entering into discussions or negotiations about a section 30 agreement and any request at this time will be declined”.

At a last-minute press conference Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson confirmed Ms Sturgeon’s timetable for a second referendum – between autumn 2018 and spring 2019 – will be “rejected conclusively”.

The move came three days after Ms Sturgeon declared her intention to hold another referendum because of her unhappiness with the UK Government’s approach to Brexit.

Mrs May ruled out another vote indefinitely, telling ITV news: “Right now we should be working together, not pulling apart. We should be working together to get that right deal for Scotland, that right deal for the UK, as I say that’s my job as Prime Minister and so for that reason I say to the SNP: now is not the time.

She added that “talking about an independence referendum will, I think, make it more difficult for us to be able to get the right deal for Scotland, and the right deal for the UK”.

Senior Conservative figures outlined tests that would need to be met before dialogue could begin, including a swing in opinion polls, as they suggested another ballot may be pushed back beyond the 2021 Holyrood elections.

Speaking after the announcement, the First Minister’s spokesman said a hard-line approach from the UK Government was a “blunder of epic proportions” from Downing Street.

He confirmed, however, that the Scottish Government would be prepared to wait until 2021 to hold another vote.

In an interview with BBC Scotland, Ms Sturgeon was pressed on whether she would “go it alone” and hold a vote without UK Government legal sign off.

She said: “I am not getting into that right now because I think it is important to allow the Scottish Parliament to have its say, that’s what I’m going to do.”

The SNP leader added: “I’m determined that we will have one on my timescale but I am determined we will do that because the will of the Scottish Parliament will be respected.

“I’m saying that I don’t think Theresa May’s position right now is a sustainable position. This is not the Iron Lady, this is someone whose government is in chaos, chopping and changing all of the time.”

She had earlier said that Mrs May was “effectively trying to block the people of Scotland having a choice over their future,” describing the move as “a democratic outrage”.