THE next independence referendum could take place before the end of next year, Michael Russell has suggested. 

The Constitution Secretary - who is set to stand down at May's election -  told the BBC that the Scottish Government is in the process of pushing forward with the vote.

Last month, the First Minister promised to set out plans for a draft bill which would set out the timescale and potential question for a new referendum.

She said the SNP would then "make the case" for this plan in the election campaign.

Russell - who is set to stand down at next May's election -  told the BBC the Scottish Government was now in the process of pushing forward with that Bill.

READ MORE: SNP conference may back bid for Scottish Reserve Bank owned by Holyrood

He said: “What we need now is that last bit of legislation which sets a date and organises the question, and there's a process to be gone through in terms of question testing.

“So, we will publish the third part before these elections.

“We've said if the Scottish people endorsed that and wish it to happen then it must happen.

“And I'm not going to do anything other than assume that it will happen in those circumstances.

“If the Scottish people speak then they have to be heard.

“And there will need to be a referendum. And, you know, that could take place, I'm quite sure, before the end of next year.”

Russell's comments follow a survey for STV by Ipsos Mori which found that, when undecided voters were excluded, Yes is now at 58% while No is on just 42%, 13 points down since the 2014 referendum.