DOUGLAS Ross has refused to accept there is a democratic path to Scots being able to decide their own future in an independence referendum.

The Scottish Tory leader, in an interview with Channel 4 News, was asked six times to sketch out a legitimate route to indyref2 – but rejected each opportunity to do so.

During the pre-election grilling, he also failed to confirm he would accept the result of the election, was accused of double standards over Brexit and admitted to a U-turn on a pay rise for NHS workers.

Asked to spell out the democratic path to an independence referendum, Ross said: "People in Scotland can decide on May 6 to get a parliament that is laser-focused on our recovery on rebuilding Scotland, we do that by stopping an SNP majority.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon slams 'arrogant' Douglas Ross over indyref2 claim

“And the tried and tested method to stop the SNP is to vote for the Scottish Conservatives because we’ve got the strength across the country to stand up to the SNP to challenge them and to stop their plans to divide our country with another independence referendum."

He was pressed by the interviewer several more times, but refused to budge from that stance.

On the fifth attempt, the Channel 4 reporter asked: “One last try, just for me. Is there a democratic way of having this referendum? At all? In your view?”

The Scottish Tory leader replied: “We’ve had a referendum in 2014. What we’re saying in this election is we can stop the SNP with their divisive plans to have it again in the next couple of years.”

The interviewer added: “It’s the same answer you’ve given me again, so I take it it’s a no?”

Ross concluded: “What I’m saying is this election, comes down to the SNP who want to hold another independence referendum and the Scottish Conservatives who want to stop them. To ensure we can focus on our recovery and rebuilding Scotland.”

READ MORE: SNP slam 'Dickensian' Tory tax cut plan for the richest in Scotland

The Moray MP was also asked – as Donald Trump was ahead of the US election – if he would accept the result of the vote. Specifically, Ross was quizzed on whether he would acknowledge a pro-independence majority would represent a mandate for indyref2.

He replied: "I’m not going to speculate on the outcome of an election that’s not been held yet.”

Again, the Scottish Tory refused to reconsider his stance when pressed further by the reporter.

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie told The National: "The election hasn't even happened yet and the Tories are already trying to get their excuses in early. If democracy means anything to Douglas Ross and his Tory colleagues then the election of a majority of pro-independence MSPs must allow an independence referendum.

"We have been very clear that every vote for the Scottish Greens is a vote for a fairer, greener and independent Scotland. Douglas Ross has made it clear that he opposes independence, in fact he talks about little else. But Scotland's future isn't up to him, or Boris Johnson, its up to the people of Scotland."

The Channel 4 interview also raised questions about the Conservatives’ stance on a 4% pay rise for NHS staff.

Nicola Sturgeon announced in March that more than 154,000 health workers with contracts under the Agenda for Change system would be offered the salary increase, which would also give staff on the lowest pay point a 5.4% increase.

The offer gazumped Boris Johnson’s 1% pay offer for NHS workers in England.

The Scottish Tories initially declined to back the Holyrood proposals, insisting they would await the conclusions of an independent report before making a decision. But in an apparent U-turn, Ross confirmed that the 4% offer is included in his party’s manifesto.

The Tory manifesto also commits £600 million to clearing the NHS backlog caused by the pandemic. Ross said the funding would have to come from “efficiencies from elsewhere in the NHS”.

However, the Moray MP did not say which parts of the health service would face cuts to fund the scheme.

Ross was also accused of double standards for demanding that Nicola Sturgeon cost the impact of independence – despite voting for Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal in the absence of a full economic impact assessment.

When this argument was put to him, the Scottish Tory chief said: “We have an election, here in Scotland, in less than three weeks’ time, where Nicola Sturgeon is saying vote for the SNP and if we get a majority we’ll hold another independence referendum within the next couple of years … And now she can’t tell us what that would cost.”

SNP depute leader Keith Brown condemned the Tories after the "car crash" interview.

He told The National: "The future of Scotland will be decided by the people of Scotland in just over a fortnight at the ballot box. It will not be decided by people like Douglas Ross and Boris Johnson.

"Watching Douglas Ross tie himself in knots is testament to why he and Boris Johnson's Trump-like opposition to an independence referendum is becoming increasingly untenable. The bottom line is they just do not want to respect the democratic wishes of the people of Scotland.

"This car crash interview demonstrates how flimsy their opposition to an independence referendum really is and that is why it will crumble. The Tories know a mandate for a post-pandemic referendum is coming and it will have to be honoured.

"The Tories do not have the best wishes of the people of Scotland at heart – their manifesto plans make that clear as they will cut £600m from the NHS."