Nicola Sturgeon has warned the Prime Minister that any block on a second independence referendum would be a “democratic outrage”.
Responding to the news that Theresa May had rejected Ms Sturgeon’s call for a new vote, the First Minister said that the Scottish Government had a “cast-iron democratic mandate” that “must be fulfilled”.
Mrs May said that “now is not the time” to push ahead with a new plebiscite and argued that holding one would be “unfair” until the UK’s future with the EU became clear.
She added: “So when the SNP government say that now is not the time to start talking about a second independence referendum, I say that just at this point all of our energies should be focused on our negotiations with the European Union about our future relationship.
“To be talking about an independence referendum would I think make it more difficult for us top be able to get the right deal for Scotland and the right deal for the UK”.
In an official response, Ms Sturgeon said the Prime Minister had not listened to her proposal.
She added: “We will put our position, based firmly on this government’s democratic mandate, to the Scottish Parliament next week, and then we will put our formal proposals to the UK Government.
“If the Prime Minister refuses to engage on the terms of a referendum before Brexit takes place then she is effectively trying to block the people of Scotland having a choice over their future. That would be a democratic outrage.”
She continued: “It would be outrageous for the Scottish Parliament to be frozen out of the process. The Scottish Government has a cast-iron mandate to offer people a choice and that mandate must be fulfilled.
“Any bid by the UK Government to block the people of Scotland from making a choice will be untenable, undemocratic and totally unsustainable – and clearly shows that the UK Government recognises it it out of step with the Scottish people.”
