Douglas Ross quizzed on "once in a generation" independence statement
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MORAY'S Conservative MP Douglas Ross has said the SNP's "once in a generation" statement ahead of 2014's independence referendum could mean "30, 40 or 50 years".
Richard Lochhead, Moray's MSP, said the Tories ran their 2019 General Election campaign on an anti-referendum agenda, and accused them of ignoring the result.
Mr Ross was speaking to the BBC's Gary Robertson after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would not be allowing the SNP to hold another referendum on Scottish independence.
When asked how long a generation was, Mr Ross said: "Nicola Sturgeon said a generation and a generation I think is normally 30, 40 or 50 years.
"I don't think Nicola Sturgeon said when she was coming up with a generation what it was. But it's certainly not the six years that have passed since we last had a referendum."
In 2014, Scotland voted by 55.3 per cent to 44.7 per cent to remain part of the UK. Two years later, Scotland voted 62 per cent to 38 per cent to remain in the EU and, in December, elected 48 SNP MPs. However, the UK voted to leave the EU and to elect a Conservative government.
Mr Ross, who voted remain in the EU referendum, said circumstances surrounding independence have not changed and will not change even if the SNP were voted in at the next council elections in 2021.
He added: "Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond promised people, if they voted for separation or against it, they would respect that result and that's what the Prime Minister said he is doing.
"The Scottish National Party promised the people of Scotland this would be a once in a generation vote and people voted accordingly – 45 per cent to seperate and 55 per cent to remain part of the United Kingdom."
Moray's SNP MSP Richard Lochhead, however, argued that the Conservatives ran their General Election campaign on denying the SNP another referendum – and are now failing to respect the result after the SNP won.
Mr Lochhead said: "The Conservative Party in Scotland ran their recent campaign on the single issue of an independence referendum, saying that the result would determine whether or not there was a second referendum.
"They went on to lose more than half their MPs and the SNP won 80 per cent of seats. Douglas Ross is now saying it doesn’t matter how Scotland voted.
"Douglas Ross’ first outing as Minister was an embarrassment given he said there will not be another referendum for 50 years. Democracy did not end in 2014 and the future of our country should be decided by the people who live here – not by a Tory Government that has been rejected by the majority of Scots."
Related article: SNP and Tories clash as Boris Johnson says no to second independence referendum
