Not time for another indy referendum: PM

The Scottish first minister outlined plans to hold a consultative vote on that date, with her government publishing a bill to enable a second referendum.

She also revealed to MSPs at Holyrood that Scotland’s most senior law officer, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain will refer the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill to the UK Supreme Court, to see if such a vote would be legal.

However, Boris Johnson has insisted the focus should be on the economy, as he argued the UK would have a “stronger economy and stronger country together”.

A Number 10 spokesman made clear the prime minister continues to believe it is “not the time to be talking about” a second referendum on Scottish independence.

The spokesman said: “Our position remains unchanged that both ours and the Scottish government’s priority should be working together with a relentless focus on the issues that we know matter to people up and down the country.”

Mr Johnson, meanwhile, said that while he would study the Scottish first minister’s plans “the focus of the country should be on building a stronger economy”.

“I haven’t seen exactly what she’s said yet,” he told reporters as he travelled to Madrid for the Nato summit.

“We will study it very carefully and we will respond properly.”

Ms Sturgeon argued it was time for Scots to “debate and decide the future of our country”.

In a statement to Holyrood she said: “Now is the time to get Scotland on the right path, the path chosen by those who live here.

“Now is the the time for independence”.

She said while she had a “clear democratic mandate” for another referendum, the UK government was “regrettably refusing to respect Scottish democracy”.

Opposition MSPs in Holyrood accused Ms Sturgeon of putting the “priorities of Scots on the backburner” to focus instead on her independence “obsession”.

Ms Sturgeon, however, said her plans provided for an “indisputably lawful” referendum to take place.