THE Scottish Government has ruled out setting a higher threshold for a second independence referendum, claiming it would leave democracy in “tatters”.

Constitutional Relations Secretary Michael Russell also attacked the media for proposing the idea of a higher than 50 per cent threshold for Indyref2 to produce a stable result.

He told MSPs moving away from a simple majority could result in a “cheat”, citing the 1979 devolution referendum that did not pass because too few voters backed it.

Mr Russell was responding to Glasgow Kelvin SNP MSP Sandra White, who asked for the Government’s position on a two-thirds majority being required for independence.

Unionist campaigners recently tabled a petition at Holyrood calling for such a threshold.

Mr Russell said the Scottish Government’s Referendums Bill, which would pave the way for Indyref, did not propose a so-called “super majority” for any future referendum in Scotland.

He said: “A fundamental tenet of democracy is that one person’s vote is worth as much as anyone else’s. The suggestion of a super-majority would leave that principle in tatters.”

Ms White said the Venice Commission on referendums, the advisory body on the Council of Europe, had warned a super-majority could encourage people not to vote.

Mr Russell said: “I know that Tory-supporting journalists and indeed Tory MSPs are actively promoting a variety of issues in a referendum, including a variety of turnout requirements and quorums.

“The Venice Commission is entirely clear. A turnout quorum, threshold or minimum percentage is wrong because it assimilates voters who abstain with those who vote No, and an approval quorum, which is approval by a minimum percentage of registered voters risks involving a difficult political situation.

“If, for example, as of course happened in 1979, there is a simple majority, but an artificial, one might calls cheat, applied by other people.”