THE other Unionist parties at Holyrood have thrown their weight behind Theresa May’s decision to block to a second referendum until after Brexit.

In an echo of the Better Together alliance of 2014, Scottish Labour and the Scottish LibDems voiced their approval of the Conservative leader’s high-risk move.

There was also agreement with the Prime Minister’s argument that Scots voters would not be in a position to make a fair and informed judgment on Brexit for several years.

Despite last year saying it would be a mistake to deny Holyrood a Section 30 order, Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: "There absolutely should not be another independence referendum until after Brexit. We have no idea what Brexit looks like, or how it will impact our economy and families in Scotland.

“People cannot be asked to make a decision about the future of our 300-year old Union in the dark. If there is to be another vote the people of Scotland deserve clarity on what they are being asked to vote on.

"Nicola Sturgeon should stop trying to pretend that if Scotland leaves the UK we would remain in the EU. It is clear that a separate Scotland would need to reapply for EU membership from scratch, regardless of the Brexit process.

"If after Brexit we have that clarity and the people of Scotland want a referendum on leaving the UK then it isn't the job of the UK government to stand in the way of that."

But Ross Greer for the Scottish Greens said the Tory attitude was one of “contempt”.

He said "Scotland deserves to choose between the isolated, angry Brexit Britain planned by the Tories and putting our future in our own hands with independence. If a Tory Westminster Government that Scotland did not elect seriously think they can block our right to choose - and that they can veto a decision of our elected parliament – they will only increase support for independence. Today's comments underline the contemptuous attitude the Tories have toward Scotland.

“This seems like a transparent attempt to deny European citizens living here, and the Scottish people as a whole, a vote on our collective future at the critical moment."

LibDem leader Willie Rennie MSP said: “It is not the right time, there is not public demand for one and there is not a proper mandate for one.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats are opposed to a divisive second referendum. Our opposition was in our manifesto for the Holyrood election last year and we will stick to that."

Referring to next week’s Holyrood vote on seeking Westminster’s permission for a referendum, he said the Greens had no mandate to back in the SNP.

“The Greens have no mandate because they said they needed a million signatures on a petition before they would trigger a vote. The SNP have no full mandate because they are using an EU clause in their manifesto yet won’t guarantee EU membership will be an automatic part of the referendum package."