Scots do not want another independence referendum, Michael Gove has claimed.
The Conservative leader hopeful also refused to rule out blocking a re-run of the 2014 vote as Prime Minister.
Asked by Andrew Marr if he would try to get Westminster to veto a referendum bid from Nicola Sturgeon, he said: “I do not believe we will need to go down that path.
“I believe as I have stated to you before here that there’s no appetite for a second referendum in Scotland.”
The ability of Westminster to stop another vote on Scotland’s place in the UK has split opinion.
If Ms Sturgeon sought another version of the Edinburgh Agreement, in which David Cameron signed off holding the 2014 referendum, then Westminster could legally block the will of Holyrood, which holds a majority of pro-independence MSPs.
However, it is seen as highly unlikely that London would stop a second referendum in the face of a clear Holyrood mandate.
An SNP spokesman said Mr Gove is “wildly out of touch with public opinion in Scotland” with a series of polls showing most favour independence.
He added: “This is the same man who backed six years of Tory austerity, voted against more powers for Scotland, and whose pitch for the Tory leadership also includes a threat to slash Scotland’s budget.”
