DOWNING Street has said they will not approve a second independence referendum anytime soon. 

The reiteration of Boris Johnson's staunch opposition to indyref2 comes ahead of an expected flying visit north of the the Border.

Reports over the weekend suggested the Tory leadership were in "panic mode" after a series of polls put Yes ahead.  

Answering questions from journalists, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said they would "continue to uphold the decisive verdict" from 2014's referendum.

He said: "The UK wide response to the coronavirus pandemic demonstrates, more than ever, the importance of the Union. Through UK government support over 900,000 Scottish jobs have been protected and thousands of Scottish businesses have been granted loans.

"The United Kingdom's armed forces have also provided vital support for NHS Scotland, airlifting critically ill patients from some of the most remote communities, helping convert temporary hospitals and running mobile testing sites. And that's on top of the £4.6bn we have given to the Scottish administration, so they can fund the NHS and other public services in Scotland.

"It was in 2014 that the Scottish people voted to keep our United Kingdom together. Both sides committed to respecting that decision, and the First Minister promised it would be a once in a generation vote. The UK Government will continue to uphold the decisive verdict from the referendum."

Yesterday, the Sunday Times quoted a cabinet source saying: “Michael [Gove] is in panic mode about the Union and Boris is in irritated mode.”

The First Minister - who celebrated her 50th birthday on Sunday - welcomed news of the Prime Minister’s visit, claiming it would boost support for independence. “Nice of Boris to send me a birthday pressie,” she tweeted.