THE Tories have been compared to Donald Trump after Alister Jack said there’d be no second independence referendum until 2039 at the earliest - despite recent polls showing Scots majority support for a vote.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told her supporters not to “dignify this rubbish,” comparing it to the US president's unwillingess to accept that he's been rejected by voters. 

Speaking to the BBC, Jack said ministers would rule out a referendum regardless of the outcome of next year’s election.

“It's no for a generation," he said.

READ MORE: Alister Jack: No Scottish independence referendum for at least 25-40 years

Asked to define a generation, he said: "Is it 25 years or is it 40 years? You tell me. But it's certainly not six years, nor 10".

The Secretary of State added: "It's very clear that it's no because a generation hasn't passed. We've had two referenda in the last six years and they've been quite divisive for our society. They create quite a lot of uncertainty for business. What we need to do now is refocus on building our economy and give business certainty.

"That creates more jobs. That improves people's livelihoods"

In a later interview with programme, Jack said: “We had a referendum, it was once in a generation, as a democrat I respect the outcome of referenda, we’re delivering on Brexit, and we are respecting the outcome of the 2014 referendum on independence.

“In the white paper for independence produced by Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, once in a generation is referred to a number of times in that paper almost in the first six paragraphs, and then a number of times thereafter.

“It was not a rhetorical flourish and nobody should ever allow that to become a fact because it simply isn’t one … the white paper was about a lot of nonsense on an economy built on 110, 120 dollars for a barrel of oil.

“When you’ve had a 300-year-old enduring partnership as successful as the United Kingdom, you don’t then go into a period of neverendums until a party that has one objective, which is to separate Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, gets its own way.

The National: Alister Jack

“They are as you know a party of government at the moment – but they are a party that view everything through the prism of separation.

“I don’t think we should keep having referendums until they get their own way, it should respect the outcome of the one we had.”

Responding to the interview on social media, the First Minister tweeted: "As we’re seeing across the Atlantic just now, politicians who rage against democracy don’t prevail. Let’s not dignify this rubbish. Instead let’s keep making and winning the case for independence. Power doesn’t belong to politicians - it belongs to the people. #indyref2"

Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, the SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford accused Jack of being “tin-eared”.

“I think Alister should listen to what people in Scotland are saying because increasingly people in Scotland are saying that they won't to have that independence referendum and support for independence at every poll - we’ve had 12 polls now over the course of the last few months - showing a majority for that.

“We can’t have a tin-eared Secretary of State or Westminster Government.

“The government in London might be saying something today, but will they’ll be saying something very different after the election next year.

“Asking the people to recognize it through that public support through the demonstration and the ballot box we will have that referendum. Alister Jack is not going to stop the people of Scotland having their say. 

“There's very strong momentum towards independence I'm looking forward to the election next year. We will be having that referendum.”

SNP constitutional affairs secretary, Michael Russell tweeted: “This man’s party has 6 Scottish MPs out of 59.  The party that wishes such a referendum has 48. It also forms the Scottish Government whereas his party hasn’t won an election in Scotland in more than 50 years. Democracy being trashed not just in America  but much closer to home.”

Jack’s comments echoed those made by former leader Jackson Carlaw last year. 

Speaking at the Scottish Tory manifesto launch, he ruled out a second referendum on Scottish independence until at least 2054.

Answering questions from journalists the MSP said Holyrood should fulfil the commitment given to voters in 2014 that it was a “once in a generation” vote.

Asked how long he thought that generation should be, Carlaw said: “I'll tell you what it ain't, it's not five years”.

Pushed again, he said: “Well I mean it's variable. We had 40 years between the two European referendums, that seems like a fine definition.”