FORMER Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has accepted that indyref2 is "unquestionably" happening.

Dugdale, who led the party for two years, said the SNP's lead at Holyrood means they will have a mandate to hold another referendum.

"For people who don't follow Scottish politics that closely, the SNP are miles ahead in the polls, a good 20% point lead on the Conservatives who are in second place," she said during a webinar hosted by British Future.

A recent poll put independence support at 55%,  a reverse in the result of the 2014 indyref

READ MORE: Scottish independence: Yes support soars to 55 per cent in Panelbase poll

"They're [the SNP] are likely to have a majority in a Parliament which is not designed to produce majorities and a by-product of that is that there will unquestionably be a second independence referendum," Dugdale continued. 

"If you look at current independence referendum polling there has been a considerable shift from No to Yes, around five or six percentage points in the last six months really."

A poll in June put the SNP on an incredible 53% of the constituency vote which would dramatically increase pressure on Boris Johnson to grant a Section 30 order to hold indyref2.

READ MORE: SNP set for huge Holyrood election win and mandate for indyref2

Dugdale quit Scottish Labour last year over its stance on Brexit and now is the director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service at Glasgow University.