Scottish Secretary Michael Moore has accused the SNP of neglecting the “responsibility” of government in pursuit of independence.
At a speech to the Liberal Democrat conference on Wednesday, the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP will reiterate demands for information about the planned referendum.
The move comes three weeks after Mr Moore posed six “key” questions on how Scotland would operate as an independent country (link).
In the conference in Birmingham he will say: “If the SNP wants independence for Scotland, the argument is theirs to make, and the detail is theirs to spell out.
“But they don’t. They dodge the questions and they shout down the questioners.
“Three weeks ago I asked six simple questions about the SNP’s plans for an independent Scotland. I asked about bank regulation, pension payments, the national currency, membership of international organisations, Scotland’s defences and the bottom line on costs.
“Answers came there none.”
He will add: “The SNP has always used conflict and grievance to distract from their failure to set out a detailed case for independence.”
The speech will be seen as a further toughening in attitude towards the SNP as the planned referendum which is not expected for several years continues to dominate Scottish politics.
Mr Moore appears to be hoping tough spending decisions and controversy over plans for a single police force and other measures can damage the nationalists.
“Governing is about answering hard questions and taking responsibility and that is something the SNP has still to accept,” he will say. “They’ll have to come to the front, take responsibility and answer the questions. That’s what governing is about.”
A spokesman for First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The Lib Dems are crumbling under pressure and have only succeeded in making themselves look ridiculous.
“All of the issues raised by Mr Moore have been dealt with in detail by the Scottish Government’s white paper published way back in 2009.”