David Cameron should block any SNP attempt to hold a second independence referendum, the Scottish Conservative deputy leader has said.
Jackson Carlaw claimed it would be “incredibly foolish” for pro-independence parties, who now have a combined majority at Holyrood, to try and stage a constitutional rerun.
That was met with a strong rebuke from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who said the Tories would set themselves “on a collision course with the Scottish population” if they stand in the way of a “clear demand” for a return to the polls.
Mr Carlaw told the BBC’s Sunday Politics: “It wasn’t in their manifesto, I don’t think they have the mandate, and I think Scotland has now made it very clear that it wants to see the government get on with governing the country, and to put the independence issue aside for this parliament.
“I think if the SNP has got any sense it will recognise that if it pushes on now and persists with trying to put Scotland through another referendum, it is actually going to come to grief.”
The power to hold another referendum is reserved to Westminster. Asked if the Prime Minister should prevent a second vote on independence, Mr Carlaw said: “I wouldn’t be unhappy if they did, but I actually don’t believe it is going to get to that point.”
But Ms Sturgeon argued Thursday’s election had moved the case for independence forward as she confirmed her intention to relaunch the SNP’s independence campaign in the summer.
She said: “If we get into a situation where the Tories decide to be a roadblock to the democratic will of the Scottish people I think the Tories will find themselves, with any talk of a recovery which I think they are perhaps overstating right now, with that recovery coming to a juddering halt.”
Nicola Sturgeon: Tories won barely 20% of the vote – cannot now act as a road block to the will of the Scottish people #bbcsp
— The SNP (@theSNP) May 8, 2016
Asked if Scotland can put an independence referendum to bed for the next five years, Ms Sturgeon said: “No, the position I put forward in the SNP manifesto got the support of almost 50% of the population.”
A little more than 44% of votes cast on Thursday went to the SNP. Turnout was 55.6%.
