Boris Johnson has once again dismissed calls for a second Scottish independence referendum.
In his first interview of the year the Prime Minister had no new arguments against SNP demands for a re-run of the 2014 vote, saying that referendums should only be held “once in a generation”.
The Tory leader told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: “Referendums in my experience, direct experience, in this country are not particularly jolly events.
“They don’t have a notably unifying force in the national mood, they should be only once in a generation.”
Asked what the difference was between a referendum on EU membership being granted and another on Scottish independence being requested, he said: “The difference is we had a referendum in 1975 and we then had another one in 2016.
“That seems to be about the right sort of gap. How about that?”
Having sealed a free trade deal the consequences of Brexit for the future of the United Kingdom will move centre stage this year.
Nicola Sturgeon is set to make a demand for a second referendum if, as expected, a pro-independence majority is elected to the Scottish parliament in elections scheduled for May.
Johnson has already rejected the idea, quoting Sturgeon and former SNP leader Alex Salmond’s own words that the 2014 vote was a “once in a generation event”.
A string of recent polls have indicated support for a second independence referendum growing with a majority of those asked backing a split from the UK.
The 2014 referendum resulted in a 55 per cent voting against Scotland going alone, but post-Brexit polls have reversed the figure.
On Hogmanay, Nicola Sturgeon said Europe should “keep a light on” as Scotland will be “back soon”.
The First Minister tweeted just after the Brexit transition period formally ended at 11pm on December 31.
Tweeting a picture of the words Europe and Scotland joined by a love heart, she wrote: “Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.”
