Scotland Secretary Alister Jack confirmed the Government has received Scottish First Secretary Nicola Sturgeon’s request for a second independence referendum.
Speaking during Scotland questions, Mr Jack was quick, however, to refute SNP MP’s calls for a new vote.
Airdrie and Shotts MP Neil Gray questioned the Government’s decision to refuse the poll.
READ MORE: SNP minister warns against ‘undemocratic power grab’ by Westminster
He said: “His party enjoys 43% of the vote to deliver Brexit and yet denies the SNP its right to give the people of Scotland its say with the 45% of the vote in Scotland that we have secured.”
Mr Jack replied: “The First Minister has asked for the right to set referendums in the future, to decide the context of those.
“We are very clear about this. Constitutional matters are reserved and it would be completely wrong for us to hands those powers over to the Scottish Parliament because we would end up in a series of never-endums.”
The SNP’s deputy Westminster leader Kirsty Blackman accused the Government of ignoring Scottish voters.
She said: “The UK Government has ignored Scottish people’s voices and votes in every election and referendum since 2016, careering on with both Brexit and austerity.
READ MORE: SNP make changes to frontbench team at Westminster
“Can the Secretary of State inform us what precise electoral event would convince him that Scotland people should have the right to choose their own future?”
Mr Jack replied: “Regarding whether the time will be right, both Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond at the time said it was a ‘once-in-a-generation, once-in-a-lifetime decision’.
“I don’t feel a generation or a lifetime has passed.”
Mr Jack’s predecessor as Scottish secretary, David Mundell, called on the First Minister to accept the result of the 2014 referendum.
Mr Mundell said: “Does he agree with me though that this document is just another expensive and time-wasting stunt by Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP?
“The people of Scotland chose, they chose in 2014 decisively to remain in the UK and it’s time Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP accepted that and move on.”
Mr Jack paid tribute to Mr Mundell’s 13 years as a spokesman on Scottish affairs.
He said: “It’s quite clear that the Scottish Government constantly harp on about independence and separation because they want to deflect from the main issue and the main issue is that they are failing in our school standards and they are failing our NHS.”
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