YOU would think David Mundell would use his Tory conference speech to discuss
Brexit but, bizarrely, all he wanted to talk about was independence.
Speaking at the Scottish Tory conference in Aberdeen, the Scottish Secretary mentioned independence 10 times but didn’t mention Brexit at all.
Mundell branded SNP plans for an independent Scotland to have its own currency as “Nicola Sturgeon’s chocolate money”.
He used his speech to attack the First Minister and her party for being “consumed with their constitutional obsession”.
Sturgeon has outlined her intention to hold indyref2 in the next two years but Mundell said UK Government would not give the go-ahead.
He said: “Let me be absolutely clear – if Nicola Sturgeon continues with her indyref2 plans and asks for the UK Government’s agreement to hold a referendum, the answer will be no.
“No Section 30 order. No second Edinburgh Agreement. No legal referendum.
“The people of Scotland said ‘no’ in 2014 and they meant it.”
“I’m very clear - my constituents don’t want Nicola Sturgeon’s chocolate money under any name.”
The SNP condemned the speech, saying: “Support for independence is on the rise, and the Tories can see that – which is what lies behind their utterly undemocratic move to block the people of Scotland having a say on their future. In Scotland the Tories are now slipping back to third place behind even a hapless, rudderless Labour party.
“Meanwhile, the SNP goes from strength to strength, with commanding poll leads for Holyrood, Westminster and the European elections. We are the party delivering for the people of Scotland, providing clarity amid chaos and offering people the vision of a better future with independence.”
Mundell’s speech comes as Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said she is fighting to become First Minister so she can take the independence question “off the table once and for all”.
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