IT will be up to the people of Scotland to decide if there is another referendum on independence, not the politicians.

Speaking in last night’s debate between the Scottish party leaders, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that a referendum was not in “the gift” of politicians.

The BBC Scotland debate was held in Aberdeen just 24 hours after a similar event organised by STV. In the end the one thing that everyone took away from the Tuesday night debate was Sturgeon’s admission that a referendum on independence might be in the manifesto for the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2016.

It should not have been news that a pro-independence party still believed in independence, and that if enough of the electorate voted for that particular pro-independence party, or indeed other pro-independence partie, there might be a referendum; but it was.

The story was splashed on front pages of yesterday’s newspapers, and met with comment and speeches by political leaders. Strikingly, as the question received a less-than-enthusiastic reaction in Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms, it was, perhaps more importantly, the first time Sturgeon’s rivals had smelled blood.

It was definitely no surprise that towards the end of the debate the question was asked again. The question came when the party leaders were asked what they would not be willing to compromise on. Ruth Davidson said that her party would not compromise the union.

When asked by the BBC’s James Cook if the Tories would block a referendum, Davidson said: “I do not see an area where if the circumstances arose again that we would. However, we would feel betrayed very deeply.”

Her comments seemed to clash with an interview with David Cam,eron in Houise magazine in which he ruled otu agreeing rto a second independence referendum, claiming the issue is now “settled.”

When Cook asked Sturgeon about another referendum, the First Minister was prepared. “A vote for the SNP in this election is not a vote for another referendum, it is a vote to make Scotland’s voice heard much, much more loudly,” she said.

To much barracking the First Minister was asked if that meant there would definitely be one in 2016.

“Something material would have to change in terms of the circumstances or public opinion before it would be appropriate to have a referendum,” she said.

Asked what those circumstance could be the First Minister said: “Perhaps if the Tories wanted to drag us out of the Union against our will.”

A referendum, Sturgeon said, was not in the gift of politicians: it would be up to the people of Scotland to decide when the next referendum would be. “You’re not making a promise you can’t keep?” said Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie. “I would advise against that.”

It was a heated and angry debate between Sturgeon, Davidson, Rennie, Jim Murphy, Patrick Harvie and David Coburn, with all six shouting over each other at times. Murphy was accused by Sturgeon of “shamefully using vulnerable people to make a political point”.

The accusation came after he attacked the Scottish Government’s Scottish Welfare Fund for paying out vouchers instead of cash. Murphy’s claimed the SNP had voted with the Conservatives.

The First Minister said that Murphy’s claims were “rubbish”. “We set up the welfare fund,” she said. “We spend £100 million a year mitigating Tory welfare cuts. You stood in the way of devolving welfare powers to the Scottish Parliament.”

The economy was at the heart of a debate. The First Minister was pressed on whether she would want full fiscal autonomy. “Ask the rest of the panel,” she said to Cook, when he asked her on how soon she would want Scotland to be in charge of its own taxes and spending.

The debate was in King’s College, part of Aberdeen University. It was transformed into a TV studio very briefly before returning to the exam hall that it normally is at this time of the year.

Cook placed himself firmly in the middle of the leaders. His job was to make sure the questions were answered and that the politicians did not talk over each other. It was, at times, a tough, if not impossible job. His manner means that he may be the debate’s main winner.

Harvie from the Greens seemed at home beside Sturgeon, Murphy and Davidson. As his party reminded us with their election broadcast, the Greens now have more members than the Liberal Democrats and Ukip. He held his own and got a warm response considering he was in Aberdeen arguing against tax relief for the oil industry. His only stumble was when he was asked if he would go into partnership with a party that believed in capitalism. The Greens would, he said, find some way of working that advanced their policies.

There was no comedy, mustachioed audience character at last night’s debate. For comic relief the audience had to turn to David Coburn, the Ukip MEP and leader of Ukip in Scotland. At times, the politician forgot words, forgot policy and claimed everything would be better if the UK left Europe and if there were no immigrants, claims that were met with laughter.

The buffoon very quickly became the bully as he attacked countries receiving international aid. The only time the other five members of the panel were united was to criticise the Ukip politician. It was the first time he had shared a platform with Sturgeon after he compared Scottish Minister Humza Yousaf to convincted terrorist Abu Hamza.

To cheers and applause Sturgeon called Coburn a bigot. “You are a disgrace,” she said. The former art dealer and financial trader was, for the most part, sidelined.

The SNP leader reaffirmed the party’s red line on scrapping the replacement of Trident. When asked if there was any nuance here, she replied there was no confusion. SNP MPs would not, in any circumstances, vote to replace Trident.

The next TV debate will be held on April 16 and will feature Sturgeon going against Labour’s Ed Miliband, Nigel Farage from Ukip, the Greens’ Natalie Bennett, and Leanne Woods from Plaid Cymru.