IAN Blackford has hammered Jeremy Hunt after the Tory leadership candidate said he would block indyref2, even if the SNP win a majority in 2021.

The Conservative Foreign Secretary, who described himself as “a Unionist with every fibre in my being” spoke to journalists ahead of hustings in Perth.

He said that if he becomes prime minister he would reject a Section 30 order from Nicola Sturgeon.

“If she asks for a second independence referendum I will decline in the most British and polite way but it will be a no,” he said.

“I’ve made it very clear that I’m a Unionist with every fibre in my being. If there is a request for another referendum the answer will be a polite no.”

He added: “I’m a democrat and I remember that in that independence referendum the SNP said very clearly that this would settle the outcome for a generation and I think they need to be true to what they pledged the Scottish electorate. We are being true to what we promised the British electorate in delivering Brexit.”

READ: What Jeremy Hunt said when we grilled him about indyref2

The SNP’s Westminster leader has accused him of “high-handed arrogance”.

Blackford said: “The people of Scotland overwhelmingly voted against Brexit – yet we face being driven off an economic cliff-edge by a Tory government which we have also overwhelmingly rejected.

“This high-handed arrogance from Jeremy Hunt may appeal to the Tory faithful but it certainly won’t appeal to the rest of Scotland. No wonder support for the Tories has plummeted in Scotland – and no wonder support for independence is continuing to increase.

“The mandate to hold another independence referendum is not a matter of opinion – it is a matter of fact."

The SNP Westminster leader also hit out at claims from Hunt that the Scottish Government had been “very disappointing” in their preparations for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

“Jeremy Hunt’s comments on a no-deal Brexit are gobsmacking – only a few days ago he admitted he was prepared to take the UK out of the EU without a deal, despite the enormous economic and social damage that this could inflict on the country, and now he is claiming we are not doing enough to fix his mess.

“This is like an arsonist setting a building on fire and then complaining that the firefighters aren’t doing enough to tackle the blaze.

“The SNP Scottish Government continues with its preparations to protect against the threats from Brexit, but no amount of preparation or funding can completely mitigate all the impacts of leaving the European Union – particularly a catastrophic no-deal Brexit.”