Spanish prime minister will block Catalonia independence referendum

Spain’s prime minister has said he will not let the north-eastern Catalonia region hold a referendum on whether it should secede and form a new European country.

Mariano Rajoy told Spain’s Antena 3 television network that the poll many Catalans want “won’t take place and as long I am prime minister of Spain’s government there will not be independence for any Spanish territory”.

His comments came less than a week after the regional Catalan parliament made a formal request to the central government in Madrid for it to transfer powers to Catalonia so a referendum could be held.

Mr Rajoy has an absolute majority in Parliament and the main Socialist opposition party also opposes granting Catalonia the right to hold a secession referendum.