CONSTITUTION secretary Michael Russell will announce today he will ask for retesting of the question for a second independence referendum to get under way early next year.

The Electoral Commission was about to start the process following a request from the Scottish Government in February, but it was halted due to the Covid pandemic.

In a speech to introduce the debate on independence at conference today, Russell will reveal plans to ask the commission in the New Year when they believe testing can begin and if it can be done online.

He will also advise it is the intention of the Scottish Government to use the same question which was used in 2014 when it publishes a draft referendum bill before the election.

Six years ago voters were asked: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

But a row broke out last year over the issue of whether that question should be retested by the electoral watchdog.

Some opposition politicians called for a Leave/Remain option to be put to voters instead – echoing the language used in the Brexit referendum.

However Scottish Government ministers have argued that any change would be confusing for voters and would “muddy the waters”.

Last year a poll found a majority of Scots – 77% – would be satisfied if the 2014 question was used again.

According to the survey by Progress Scotland, some 88% thought the question was clear and easy and 82% thought it was fair.

Meanwhile writing in the Sunday National today, Russell has warned “now must be the time” for independence. He said Tory arguments against holding indyref2 after the pandemic were designed to “make us miss the boat”.

He said: “Now is the time  – the time to choose  independence for if that choice is not made as we start the once in several lifetimes process of rebuilding from Covid, then we will miss a major, indeed generational, opportunity to make a new Scotland."