Scottish Secretary David Mundell has reiterated his opposition to a second independence referendum, and urged the Scottish Government to concentrate on working with the UK Government on securing a good Brexit deal.
Mr Mundell responded on behalf of the UK Government on Monday November 13 to a Westminster Hall debate in the UK Parliament which will debate two petitions on a second independence referendum. More than 220,000 people have signed a petition against a second independence referendum, and fewer than 40,000 have signed one in favour.
Mr Mundell said: “Scotland had a fair, legal and decisive referendum on Scottish Independence in 2014 and the people of Scotland rejected independence. The Scottish Government must move on. They must respect the referendum result, and take the threat of a second independence referendum off the table once and for all.
“This is not the time to take Scotland back to the constitutional arguments of the past, it is time to concentrate on improving the lives of people in Scotland. I urge the Scottish Government to get on with the day job of tackling the real problems in Scotland’s economy, health services and education.
“People in Scotland, rightly, expect their two governments to work together. I hope the Scottish Government will work constructively with us on Brexit; on getting a deal which works for Scotland and the whole of the UK, and finding the best way of bringing back powers from the EU.”