THE UK Government is in hiding over indyref2 as ministers declined to take questions on Nicola Sturgeon firing the starting gun on a second independence campaign.

No members of the Government agreed to speak on BBC Radio Scotland’s flagship morning news show, said Good Morning Scotland presenter Gary Robertson.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack rejected calls to appear on the programme and a number of other requests were turned down by senior Tories, he added.

It comes after the First Minister announced the Scottish Government’s battle plan for indyref2 on Tuesday afternoon.

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The Scottish Government hopes to draw Westminster into a legal battle over its referendum bill, published to coincide with the announcement, which aims to clarify questions over Holyrood’s legal right or competence to organise a second referendum.

Robertson said: “We asked to speak to the Scottish Secretary or one of his ministers, this morning.

"We contacted the Number 10 Press Office, the Cabinet Office Press office and asked the Ministry of Defence for a slot in the round of interviews being conducted by the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace this morning.  

“But we either had our bids declined or were told ‘no-one was available’.” 

Even Defence Secretary Ben Wallace who was on the media rounds on Tuesday morning rejected a bid from the programme, which focused heavily on the reignited debate on independence.

If the Scottish Government is defeated in court – a judgement is expected later in the year – Sturgeon said this would prove the Union is not a “voluntary partnership” and vowed to fight the next Westminster General Election on the issue of independence, treating the vote as a “de-facto referendum”.

Donald Cameron, the Scottish Conservatives’ constitution spokesman, was interviewed instead of any ministers and John Swinney appeared later in the programme to speak for the Scottish Government.

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Government ministers were also notably absent from STV's Scotland Tonight on Tuesday and the Conservative position was instead put forward by Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine MP Andrew Bowie, who is not a member of the Government. 

And no-one from the Government appeared on BBC's Reporting Scotland last night.  

Sturgeon told MSPs yesterday the Scottish Government will hold a second vote on independence if the referendum bill passes the Supreme Court.

Shortly after the First Minister's announcement a UK Government spokesperson released a statement claiming "now is not the time" for a second vote. 

Asked why ministers ducked media appearances following the announcement, a UK Government spokesperson said: "We have been clear that now is not the time to be talking about another independence referendum.

“People across Scotland want to see both of their governments working together on the issues that matter to them.”