THE UK Government is “deeply rattled by the growing support for independence”, according to the SNP.
During Scottish Questions, the party also challenged the Scottish Secretary to abandon his resistance to a second independence referendum if the party is successful in the upcoming European Parliament election.
David Mundell said that the UK Government "will not agree to another independence referendum before 2021", and that the introduction of a separate Scottish currency would be "absolutely disastrous", adding: "My constituents are quite clear they don't want Nicola Sturgeon's chocolate money."
READ MORE: PMQs: Jeremy Corbyn urges Theresa May to learn from Jurgen Klopp
Tommy Sheppard raised the issue of this month’s EU election in front of MPs at Westminster, calling on Mundell to give the people of Scotland a choice over their own future.
The SNP MP for Edinburgh East said: "Two weeks tomorrow the people of Scotland go to the polls and the SNP will be fighting that election not just resisting the shambles of the Tory Brexit, but demanding that the voice of Scotland be heard and the people of Scotland be given a choice over their own future.
"If my party wins that election, secretary of state, will you then abandon your resistance to the Scottish Government being able to consult people on their own future?"
Mundell replied: "Well I don't know what [his] definition of win that election will be, but that election is to elect members of parliament from Scotland to the European Parliament for as short a period as possible and that should be the focus of that election."
Last week The National exclusively revealed that the Tory government were secretly polling Scottish voters on independence.
READ MORE: Downing Street caught out secretly polling Scots voters on independence
Ipsos-Mori were asked by the Cabinet Office to find out “about the general public’s perception of the state of the Union”.
Another SNP MP, Deidre Brock, told the Commons earlier today that the recent behaviour of the Tories shows that the UK Government is "deeply rattled by growing support for independence", with her colleague Pete Wishart adding that Scotland was being “dragged screaming and shouting out of the EU against our national collective will”,
Sheppard hit back at Mundell: "Isn't it really the case that it doesn't matter how many elections we win, it doesn't matter how many times the people of Scotland demand a say in their own future, you're a crumbling Government and your party that has the support of one in five people in Scotland will continue to deny them the opportunity to determine their own future."
Mundell replied: "The fundamental issue is that when the people of Scotland determined their own future in the 2014 referendum and voted decisively to remain in the UK, [he] and his friends didn't like the answer and their position is to keep going, to challenge that result until they get the answer that they want.
“But I've been very clear, this Government will not agree to another independence referendum before 2021."
He added that leaving the EU "will of course result in substantially increased powers" for the Scottish Parliament.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel