Boris Johnson REJECTS Nicola Sturgeon’s demand for a fresh Scottish independence referendum saying she should ‘respect’ the 2014 result
- Boris Johnson has rejected Nicola Sturgeon’s call for fresh Scottish IndyRef
- PM said all sides had agreed to ‘respect’ the referendum result from back in 2014
- SNP says its strong showing in general election means there is a new mandate
Boris Johnson today formally rejected Nicola Sturgeon’s call for a fresh Scottish independence referendum.
In a letter to the SNP leader, the PM insisted he will not authorise another vote north of the border.
He said all sides had agreed to ‘respect’ the 2014 result and it was a ‘once in a generation’ decision.
But Ms Sturgeon shot back that the premier was ‘terrified of Scotland’s right to choose’, saying the refusal would only ‘fuel support’ for independence.
The spat came after Ms Sturgeon demanded that she be allowed to hold a referendum on splitting up the UK.
The First Minister claims that her party’s strong showing in the general election proved that she has a mandate to put the question again.
‘I cannot agree to any request for a transfer of power that would lead to further independence referendums,’ Mr Johnson wrote.
The response came despite Nicola Sturgeon demanding that she be allowed to hold a referendum on splitting up the UK
In a letter to the SNP leader, the PM insisted he will not authorise another vote north of the border
Ms Sturgeon shot back that the premier was ‘terrified of Scotland’s right to choose’, saying the refusal would only ‘fuel support’ for independence
Mr Johnson said he had ‘carefully considered’ the case she had made for powers to be transferred to Holyrood that would allow it to hold a vote on Scotland’s future.
But he said both she and her predecessor Alex Salmond had made a ‘personal promise’ that the referendum in 2014 was a ‘once in generation’ event.
The PM said: ‘The UK Government will continue to uphold the democratic decision of the Scottish people and the promise that you made to them.
‘For that reason I cannot agree to any request for a transfer of power that would lead to further independence referendums.’
Mr Johnson said: ‘Another independence referendum would continue the political stagnation that Scotland has seen for the last decade, with Scottish schools, hospitals and jobs again left behind because of a campaign to separate the UK.
‘It is time that we all worked to bring the whole of the United Kingdom together and unleash the potential of this great country.’
Mr Johnson (pictured on BBC Breakfast today) said all sides had agreed to ‘respect’ the 2014 result and it was a ‘once in a generation’ decision