Sturgeon: Westminster blocking referendum would be wrong

Nicola Sturgeon has insisted it would be "wrong, unfair and utterly unsustainable" for Westminster to deny Scotland a second independence referendum if MSPs back her call for another ballot to be held.

The First Minister spoke out at the start of a two-day debate at Holyrood in which MSPs are considering a motion to mandate the Scottish Government to take forward discussions with the UK Government on the details of a section 30 order - the mechanism to transfer the legal powers for a vote.

Scottish Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians have already made clear they will seek to block another referendum.<

But the pro-independence Scottish Greens, who have six MSPs, will give the First Minister the support she needs for her motion to be passed.

Ms Sturgeon said: "In the circumstances we now face, for the UK Government to stand in the way of Scotland even having a choice would be, in my view, wrong, unfair and utterly unsustainable."

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson insisted: "Most people in Scotland are sick to death of the SNP's games.<

"They don't want another referendum any time soon, just three years after the last one."

Ms Davidson questioned how the SNP could "demand another referendum when they still cannot answer the basic questions on their own proposition" on issues such as currency and EU membership.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said Ms Sturgeon was focused on "the only thing that has ever really mattered to the SNP" - independence.<

Ms Dugdale said: "Brexit isn't the motivation for another referendum - it's just the latest excuse."