Theresa May’s bid to block an independence referendum is a “democratic outrage”, says the First Minister.
Nicola Sturgeon has hit back at the Prime Minister’s refusal to consider another vote within two years on the constitution.
Earlier, Mrs May responded to the SNP’s demand for a poll saying “now is not the time”.
The Scottish Secretary said the UK Government rejects Ms Sturgeon’s referendum timetable.
The Nationalist leader said she wanted the vote to be held “once Brexit is clear but before it is too late” – sometime between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.
She said: “We will put our proposition, based firmly on this government’s democratic mandate, to the Scottish Parliament next week, and then we will put our formal proposals to the UK Government.
“If the Prime Minister refuses to engage on the terms of a referendum before Brexit takes place then she is effectively trying to block the people of Scotland having a choice over their future. That would be a democratic outrage.
“It is for the Scottish Parliament – not Downing Street – to determine the timing of a referendum, and the decision of the Scottish Parliament must be respected.
“It would be outrageous for the Scottish Parliament to be frozen out of the process.
“The Scottish Government has a cast-iron democratic mandate to offer people a choice and that mandate must be fulfilled.
“Any bid by the UK Government to block the people of Scotland from making a choice will be untenable, undemocratic and totally unsustainable – and clearly shows that the UK Government recognises it is out of step with the Scottish people.”
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, and David Mundell, the Scottish Secretary, told journalists today they “reject conclusively the timetable for a referendum set out by the Scottish Government”.
Ms Davidson said it would be “unfair” on Scottish voters to put them through another plebiscite.
“We have just come through a referendum campaign when a key complaint among many people was that they did not have the necessary information to help them make an informed decision,” she said.
“If we were to keep to the First Minister’s timetable, this is exactly what would happen in Scotland, too.
“On the most important political decision a country can make, we would be voting blind.”