THE SNP leadership is still fully committed to seeking a second independence referendum this year but recognises the “absolute priority” at present has to be the protection of Scotland from the coronavirus outbreak.

Asked if the dramatic turn of events facing Britain meant his party would now have to abandon its desire to hold a second vote on Scotland’s future in 2020, Ian Blackford told The Herald on Sunday: “First and foremost the Government in Edinburgh and the First Minister are showing real leadership, as others have, but let’s recognise this for what it is: a public health emergency.

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“I want to see an independence referendum this year, of course I do. But we do recognise, of course, that in the next few weeks – we don’t know how long this is going to go on for – life is going to change,” declared the Nationalist leader at Westminster, who last week suggested that “all our efforts” were focused on securing indyref2 for this year.

Pointing to the postponement of the May local elections in England to 2021 and the cancellation of party conferences, Blackford said: “We will continue to do the work to build the case for independence, yes. But we have an enormous responsibility.

“There is a particular sharp focus on dealing with the circumstances in front of us. We recognise the leadership we need to show to people in Scotland. The security and wellbeing of all our constituents is the absolute priority.”

Scottish Conservative backbencher Andrew Bowie insisted Nicola Sturgeon now had to recognise the severity of the circumstances facing the nation and abandon any desire for a second poll on Scotland’s future this year.

“It’s time for the Scottish Government to abandon any idea of holding an independence referendum this year,” declared the MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine.

He pointed out how the UK Government had postponed the local, mayoral and police commissioner elections in England – where the Tories are polling well ahead of other parties – in a demonstration of “putting country before party and it’s time now the SNP did the same”.

Bowie made clear his praise for how the governments in London and Edinburgh were working well together to put the national interest first in face of an unprecedented health challenge facing the country.

“They need to carry on fighting coronavirus head on,” he added.

Labour’s Ian Murray said: “When the country’s facing a national public health emergency, we shouldn’t be focusing on local elections or referendums for that matter, everyone should be concentrating on tackling the worldwide phenomenon that is before us.”

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Privately, SNP MPs have told The Herald on Sunday, even before the coronavirus outbreak escalated, that the chance of a second referendum this year was non-existent despite the First Minister and other colleagues insisting it was still their desire to see one.

Irrespective of any political fallout for the Nationalist party from the Salmond trial, Boris Johnson has made repeatedly clear there is no way that he would – after the three-year psychodrama of the Brexit process – sanction another divisive referendum.

Several Tory colleagues have emphasised that as long as the Prime Minister is in Number 10, then there will be no indyref2.