THE Prime Minister seemingly moved to rule out a second independence referendum last night, refusing to say if he would grant the Scottish Government a Section 30 order.
As Boris Johnson addressed MPs last night in a heated and rowdy session in the Commons, the SNP’s Joanna Cherry urged him to grant Holyrood a Section 30 order.
She said: “If he must take England on to the rocks, and I hope he doesn’t, will he recognise the democratic mandate of the Scottish Parliament, and agree the means for a second independence referendum to be held in Scotland?”
The Tory chief rejected the offer.
He told Cherry: “The people of Scotland voted decisively to remain in 2014, to remain in the United Kingdom, the most successful union of nations in history, and they were told that it was a once-in-a-generation vote.”
Earlier this month, Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs that she was going to ask for the Section 30 order – the legal powers to stage a new independence referendum – to hold a vote next year.
Johnson has so far refused to rule out granting the order.
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She told the Scottish Parliament “We intend to offer the people of Scotland the choice of a better and more positive future as an independent nation.”
“We will seek agreement to the transfer of power that will put the referendum beyond legal challenge. We have a clear democratic mandate to offer the choice of independence within this term of Parliament – and we intend to do so.”
Last night Angus MacNeil asked Johnson what he would do when that request arrived at Number 10.
“This Brexit debate is certainly an agent for change,” MacNeil said.
He added: “The SNP Scottish Government has a mandate to hold an independence referendum, which I hope he respects.
“The First Minister of Scotland has said she intended before Christmas to ask for a Section 30 order to facilitate the referendum in the next year.
“Can the Prime Minister give Scotland an update? Will he agree to a Section 30 order when the Scottish Government asks for it, so the Scottish Government can hold the mandated referendum?”
MacNeil added: “Yes or no?”
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Johnson replied: “The people of Scotland were promised it was a once-in-a-generation referendum and we must respect that promise.”
Mhairi Black also pushed Johnson on promises made during the independence referendum.
“In 2014, as has been pointed out, Scotland voted to remain in the UK and it did so on the promise that the only way to ensure our EU membership was through voting no to independence.
“2016 came and we had another referendum and Scotland – my constituency and every other constituency in Scotland – voted to remain in the EU.
“So I was going to ask the Prime Minister – since he’s brought us towards this No-Deal chaos – I was going to ask him if he’s stocked up on enough Brasso for his neck, but seemingly he doesn’t need it.
“What I will say is just where does he even begin to justify the absolute hell he’s about to put on my constituents, and more so just how gullible does he think they are?”
Johnson said if Black really disagrees so “vehemently with the course” that the Government had taken then she and the SNP could table a no-confidence motion.
“She’s curiously refusing to do that,” he added.
A recent YouGov poll, published earlier this month, suggested most Scots want a second vote on independence within the next five years.
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