Michael Gove rules out second Scottish independence vote as SNP accuse Tories of ‘raging against reality’
MICHAEL Gove has categorically ruled out a second Scottish independence referendum as Nicola Sturgeon accused the Tories of “raging against reality”.
Mr Gove said today there would “absolutely not” be another indyref – regardless of how Scotland votes in the 2021 Holyrood election.
‘ABSOLUTELY NOT’
It comes after SNP boss Ms Sturgeon insisted the PM’s refusal to grant another referendum “will not be the end of the end of the matter” and said that the Tories were “raging against reality”.
Her Westminster leader Ian Blackford declared Thursday’s election was the “end of the union”.
He said: “Scotland will be leaving and we’ll be joining the EU.
“The only question is the timing and the mechanism for that.”
We were told in 2014 that would be a choice for a generation, we are not going to have an independence referendum on Scotland.
Michael Gove
But while relations with the government north of the border plunge to a new low, Mr Gove told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “We were told in 2014 that would be a choice for a generation, we are not going to have an independence referendum on Scotland.”
On Thursday the SNP increased its share of the vote and increased its number of MPs to 47, while the Tories now only have six Scottish MPs – down from 13.
GETTING BREXIT DONE
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster also claimed the next phase of Brexit negotiations will be concluded by the end of 2020.
He said: “Quite a lot of the details that we need to negotiate is already laid out in the political declaration, so a lot of work has been done.
“And as a number of people have pointed out, there are areas where the European Union’s interests and the United Kingdom’s interests are already closely aligned, so I’m confident that we will be able not just to leave the EU on January 31 but also to conclude all the details of a new relationship in short order.”
He said he would not get into “speculation” about whether the Withdrawal Agreement Bill will be brought back to the Commons before Christmas, but said it would be voted on in “relatively short order” so it can be passed by January 31.
‘RAGING AGAINST REALITY’
Ms Sturgeon confirmed she will “set out this week the detailed, democratic, case for the transfer of power” to Holyrood to allow for a legal referendum to take place.
And she insisted the Tories would not be able to sustain their opposition to such a ballot.
Scotland cannot be imprisoned in the United Kingdom against its will.
Nicola Sturgeon
Speaking about Boris Johnson, she told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “If he thinks – and I said this to him on Friday night on the telephone – that saying no is the end of the matter, he is going to find himself completely and utterly wrong.
“It’s a fundamental point of democracy, you cannot hold Scotland in the Union against its will.
“You cannot just lock us in a cupboard and turn the key and hope that everything goes away.
MOST READ IN POLITICS
“If the United Kingdom is to continue, it can only be by consent and if Boris Johnson is confident in the case for the Union he should be confident enough to make that case and allow people to decide.”
Ms Sturgeon added: “Scotland cannot be imprisoned in the United Kingdom against its will.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.