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Ruth Davidson demands SNP rule out second independence referendum

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Ruth Davidson has called on Nicola Sturgeon to start the new parliament by ruling out another independence referendum.

The Scottish Conservative leader said the SNP had “no mandate, no majority and no cause” to hold another vote on the issue.

And she welcomed the SNP’s failure to win a majority in the Holyrood election, arguing it would be “good for our democracy”.

Ms Davidson insisted that as a minority administration, the new government would be forced to “listen, learn and improve”.

Speaking at a press conference in Edinburgh, Ms Davidson added: “Majority government has not worked well – too often over the last five years the SNP pushed through its agenda, not on the strength of its case but simply on strength of numbers.

“We went to this election promising to keep the SNP in check. We made good on that promise.

“By beating the SNP in seats across Scotland, by winning seats on the regional list, we have stopped the SNP from returning that majority.

“The SNP now needs to listen to the message delivered to them.”

It was an impressive night for the Scottish Tories who won 31 seats overall – of the 129 available – compared to Labour’s 24.

This represented an increase of 16 on 2011; in contrast Labour dropped 13 from its total five years ago.

There was personal glory for Ms Davidson who took her party from fourth to first in the previously-SNP Edinburgh Central seat.

Gains in the north-east and Highlands and Islands – where the Tories won four and three regional seats respectively – were also significant, coupled with Alexander Burnett’s ousting of the SNP’s Dennis Robertson in Aberdeenshire West.

Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw and Oliver Mundell, the son of Scottish Secretary David Mundell, won the Eastwood and Dumfriesshire seats from Labour.

Reflecting on the result yesterday, Prime Minister David Cameron described Ms Davidson as an “inspirational leader”.

“It’s a realignment taking place north of the border,” he added, characterising the Tories as the alterative to the “independence and separation offered by the SNP”.

Ms Davidson continued: “Whatever claims the SNP were pursuing with regard to constitutional brinkmanship over the next five years have now been utterly shredded.

“No mandate, no majority, no cause – the SNP must now let Scotland move on. There has been a material change.

“I urge Nicola Sturgeon to start this new parliament by ruling out another referendum.”

She said she aimed to look back in five years time on more than the “tatters of a divisive” poll.

And the MSP promised to oppose and challenge the Scottish Government where necessary, rather than “moan from the sidelines as Labour has done”.