Truss suggests she would continue to oppose indyref2 irrespective of Supreme Court ruling

The Prime Minister has suggested, in an interview with ITV Border, that she would continue to oppose a second Scottish independence referendum, even if the Supreme Court ruled one was legal.

Our Political Correspondent Tom Sheldrick spoke to Liz Truss at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham. He asked her: "If the Supreme Court rules another referendum is legal, will you be leading the campaign to keep Scotland in the union?"

She replied: "I'm very clear that in 2014, when there was a referendum, we said it was once in a generation. I'm very clear there shouldn't be another referendum before that generation is up."

Reacting to that, Christine Grahame, the SNP MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, said it is "quite extraordinary for a Prime Minister to allude to the fact that, even if the Supreme Court argues that we can have a consultative referendum, it appears that she would try to oppose this. So she's opposing the law."

Downing Street said they had nothing further to add.

Arguments over whether the Scottish Parliament can legislate for another independence referendum will be heard at the Supreme Court next week.

Asked if the economic crisis and her handling of it make Scottish independence more likely, the Prime Minister said: "We're a family and we need to stay together" and pointed out that the cap on household energy prices applies on both sides of the border.

She said: "What we need to see from the Scottish Government is them doing things like building new nuclear power stations so we can help deal with the energy crisis in the long run."

On Monday morning, the Chancellor announced that the UK government's controversial plan to scrap the 45p income tax rate for the highest earners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was being reversed.

Ms Truss spoke to us on Sunday evening, before the u-turn. She told us that the government's "tax package is... about having lower taxes. We've had the highest taxes we've had in 70 years. We need to get the economy going and we need to take those steps."

On the cost of living, Ms Truss said: "I understand people are struggling", and the government has acted "to make sure that families are paying no more than an average of £2,500" a year on energy bills.

The Prime Minister said: "a decision has not yet been made" on whether benefits will be increased in line with inflation, but the most vulnerable households are getting cost of living support payments of up to £1,200.

Liz Truss refused to say whether her government will approve the controversial plans for a new deep coal mine in Whitehaven.

She told us: "The decision is in process, so I cannot intervene at this stage."

The Communities Secretary Simon Clarke is now responsible for deciding whether to give the project the go-ahead.

A new deadline of 8 November was set, after delays linked to the upheaval within the UK government.