Liz Truss says there will be no Scottish referendum ‘on my watch’

Liz Truss has insisted there will be no second referendum on Scottish independence “on my watch” if she wins the contest to replace Boris Johnson in No 10.

The Tory leadership contender stressed that any vote would “need to be authorised by the Westminster parliament”, adding: “If I become prime minister, I would not grant that authority”.

Her comments come after Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, however, unveiled proposals last month to hold a referendum on Scottish independence on 19 October, 2023.

As well as asking for the power to hold such a vote to be transferred to Holyrood, Supreme Court judges have also been asked if the Scottish government can hold a consultative ballot on the issue.

If those avenues fail, Ms Sturgeon has claimed the next general election will become a “de facto referendum”.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Truss said: “The SNP lost the 2014 referendum and Nicola Sturgeon is now leading a campaign of deception to steamroller the UK and break up the union. But I am completely clear that there will be no Scottish referendum on my watch.”

“The Scottish Independence Referendum Bill isn’t legal and will be invalidated if passed by the Scottish Parliament,” she added.

“When Westminster devolved power to Scotland, it did not include the ability to hold valid referenda to break up the union.”

In a letter to Ms Sturgeon earlier this month, the outgoing prime minister Mr Johnson rejected her call for a second vote, saying: “As our country faces unprecedented challenges at home and abroad I cannot agree that now is the time to return to a question which was clearly answered by the people of Scotland in 2024.”

In response, Ms Sturgeon said: “To be clear, Scotland will have the opportunity to choose independence — I hope in a referendum on 19 October 2023, but, if not, through a general election.

Referring to the prime minister’s perilous position on 6 July — the day before he announced his decision to resign — she added at the time: “Scottish democracy will not be a prisoner of this or any PM”.

Over the weekend, Ms Truss also picked up more support from senior Tories in her bid to replace Mr Johnson in No 10, as party officials prepare to send out ballot packs to Conservative members tomorrow.

Brandon Lewis, the former Northern Ireland secretary, declared his support for Ms Truss on Saturday, saying he trusted her more to achieve a swift return to power-sharing at Stormont if she wins the contest.

Mr Lewis also accused Mr Sunak of blocking efforts to overcome the Brexit impasse with the EU by overriding the Northern Ireland Protocol, and of being more interested in trying to “keep the EU happy”.