Sturgeon: Risk posed by Boris means indyref by 2021 still on if Brexit is off

Nicola Sturgeon will not scrap her timetable for a second independence referendum by 2021 even if the UK chooses to stay in the EU.

The First Minister said she would “not necessarily” abandon her independence plans, citing the risk of Boris Johnson becoming Prime Minister.

Mr Johnson is the runaway favourite to succeed Theresa May as Tory leader. Reports yesterday suggest that opposition to a Johnson premiership among Scottish Tories is softening as his victory grows more likely.

Earlier this year Ms Sturgeon set out her ambition to hold a second vote on Scotland’ s constitutional future before the next Holyrood election in 2021, despite the UK government’s insistence that it will not grant the Scottish Government the powers to do so.

Asked on the BBC’S Andrew Marr Show whether a vote to remain in the EU “removes the need for an imminent Scottish independence referendum”, Ms Sturgeon said :“Not necessarily, no, because I think things are changing rapidly.

“We could be facing the prospect in the near future of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister so the last thing I should be doing is narrowing Scotland’s options.”

Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden said: “Ni cola Sturgeon has used Brexit as an excuse forp ursuing a second in dependence referendum for the last three years. Today she has confirmed what we knew all along – Brexit was always just a fig leaf to hide her only real priority.

“Whether the UK is in or out of the EU, her answer will always be the same: independence.”

Senior Scottish Tories have been working to prevent Mr Johnson winning the party leadership, fearing that his strained relationship with Ruth Davidson and low approval ratings would hurt their prospects at Holyrood.

However, last week Scottish Secretary David Mundell hit out at SNP “demonising” of the former Foreign Secretary, and Tor y sources were quoted yesterday saying Mr Johnson “would be able to win back any votes lost to [Nigel] Farage over Brexit”.

SNP MEP Alyn Smith said: “Boris Johnson was front and centre of the deceitful campaign in the run-up to the European referendum in 2016 when the lie of £350 million extra for the NHS each week was plastered on the side of a bus. Ruth Davidson herself accused him of peddling lies during the Brexit campaign – and this month she reportedly blocked him from attending the Scottish Tory conference–now it seems they’re desperately trying to rewrite history and are instead set to roll out the red carpet.

“Against the backdrop of a Boris premiership ... it’s clearer than ever that Scotland’ s future cannot be for Westminster to decide.”