Stephen Flynn has called for a “grown-up discussion” between politicians to establish a “pathway” to Scottish independence.

The SNP Westminster leader said that with polls suggesting Scots were split 50/50 on the constitution, there should be some convention to set out the “terms through which people of Scotland can express their view.”

Mr Flynn’s comments come ahead of the tenth anniversary of the 2014 independence referendum, which saw the No side win by 55% to 45%.

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Over the last decade, there have been a number of calls from the SNP for a second vote.

Successive prime ministers have rebuffed demands from the Scottish Government for a Section 30, which would devolve the powers necessary for a plebiscite.

In 2022, the then first minister Nicola Sturgeon asked Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain to request a ruling from the Supreme Court on the legality of Holyrood staging its own vote without the agreement of Westminster.

The court ruled unanimously that the Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum without the UK government's consent.

The party’s most recent position was to start negotiations on independence if they won a majority of seats at the general election.

However, they won just nine, down substantially from the 48 returned in 2019.

While their vote share fell by a third to 30%, most recent polls show support for independence at around 48%.

Mr Flynn said: "We need to get to a position where we all — both those who support the union and those who support independence — understand the pathway which is available in order to deliver a referendum, because neither side has won, we're still roughly 50/50, give or take a percentage here or there.

“That's the one consistent thing that's happened in the last 10 years. It's the one thing that hasn't shifted. Different politicians from different parties have been elected in 2015, 17,19, 24 to this parliament, but one thing that's remained consistent is that neither of us can properly change the dial.

"So whilst we are continuing to have the arguments about why we think Scotland should be independent, or why people think that Scotland should remain part of the Union, I think it's probably about time that we have a grown-up discussion about the pathway to deliver that."

Asked what that discussion would look like, he said "leading figures" in the UK Government, Scottish Government, unionism and nationalism "should be in a room alongside civic society in Scotland [working out] how we come together and find a reasonable solution that maybe doesn't meet all of our expectations on either side, but allows the Scottish people to understand how they can have a vote on their future."

He added: "It would serve Scotland well for that to happen, because we can't, in my view, as a society, prosper if we have another 10 years of people saying ‘next time,’ or UK politicians saying, ‘No, this isn't happening now, now is not the time.’

"I don't think either way forward works, and that's why we need to have serious politicians having serious discussions in rooms together to come to a conclusion."

He said establishing this framework would be "a benefit to a whole swathe of the Scottish population, who probably don't regard themselves as either, but would like to express their view."

"I think the time has come for the grown ups to get into the room and work together in the best interest of the Scottish people, to get to a conclusion on this. We need to move this forward."

In 2000, the Canadian Parliament passed the Clarity Act, outlining the conditions under which the federal government would negotiate the secession of a province. 

That followed the 1995 Quebec referendum, which resulted in a narrow 50.58% to 49.42% majority rejecting separation.

(Image: PA)

Alba Party General Secretary Chris McEleny said there was little chance of Mr Flynn's plan being taken seriously.

He said: “ If Stephen thinks that the way to process the cause of Scottish independence is to wait on senior pro UK figures to sit down in a room with him to help then I’m afraid he’s going to be sitting there alone for a very long time.

He added: “Independence is often about thinking independently and acting independently. Independence is not just a form of powers and legislation, but to act independently in regards to the constitution is a de facto move towards independence. That’s the way going forward to summon up pressure on the Westminster system."

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: “Stephen Flynn simply cannot help himself. His party were routed at the General Election – when they put independence front and centre of their manifesto – but still he cannot drop his party’s obsession.

“Scots want to see the SNP focus on their real priorities, especially since the Nats’ incompetence has led to financial disaster, huge taxes and savage cuts.

"The SNP should drop their never-ending bid to tear up the UK and focus on sorting the overwhelming mess they have made of Scotland’s public services.”

Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “I do not believe that there is anything seriously grown-up about Mr Flynn’s comments. They simply confirm how out of touch both he and his party are with what people in Scotland want.

“During the election, there was real frustration with the SNP’s separation obsession, even amongst those who previously supported them. People wanted answers on the problems they face in the here and now.

“If we are talking about pathways, we should be talking about those that can fix the crisis in our NHS, lift up Scottish education and clean up the sewage in our rivers. But it seems that the SNP are on a road to nowhere.”