GORDON Brown has said indyref2 should not be held while the country "heals" from coronavirus.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "The question at the moment is not whether you could have a referendum, the question is whether you should have a referendum.
"We're in the middle of a virus, we're in the middle of a recession."
Saying the country was dealing with "huge problems", he continued: "There is a time to heal, there's got to be a time to heal before you go into any divisive, conflicting referendum that really will cause consternation in Scotland for months and months to come."
In an interview with today's Sunday National, the SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said a “referendum must take place in 2021”.
But Brown said that would be unwelcome.
READ MORE: Indyref2 will be held next year, says Ian Blackford
He told Marr: "I think most Scottish people will make up their mind that in the middle of a virus when you've got to heal the virus, you've got to heal the recession and you've got to look at the whole future of Britain – and the SNP have got to come clean about what it now means for independence, now you've got economic changes taking place – I don't think this is the right time at all."
There was support for Brown's position from Tory peer Michael Forsyth.
The former secretary of state for Scotland tweeted: “Gordon Brown spot on this morning. The last thing needed in the middle of a health and unemployment crisis is another divisive referendum. Nicola’s call for one in 2021 is irresponsible. So too are those calling for immediate tax rises. We need a growth strategy to protect jobs.”
The SNP were sceptical that Gordon Brown believed that any time would be a good for another independence vote.
MP Angus MacNeil tweeted: ”So is Gordon Brown saying immediately after the pandemic for an independence referendum? Or is he saying use the Elections in May for independence? Course not just any excuse for never.”
His Westminster colleague John Nicolson added: “Catching up on #marr & there’s Gordon Brown on again saying we need devo max. Oh – and it’s not the time for #indyref2 Just about fell off my seat in surprise.”
Catching up on #marr & there’s Gordon Brown on again saying we need devo max. Oh - and it’s not the time for #indyref2 Just about fell off my seat in surprise.
— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. (@MrJohnNicolson) November 15, 2020
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