Nicola Sturgeon has insisted there remains an "appetite" for a second referendum on Scottish independence next year despite polls suggesting most voters disagree.
The First Minister used an interview with the BBC today to repeat her argument the SNP had a clear mandate from its Holyrood election win last year to put the big constitutional question to the public again.
It comes after a poll by Survation last week found that just 35 per cent of Scots agreed with Sturgeon's timetable for a referendum, with 53 per cent opposed and 12 per cent undecided.
The SNP has gathered in Aberdeen for its first in-person party conference since 2019 and debate is raging on whether another vote can happen.
The UK Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments on Tuesday as to whether the Scottish Parliament has the legal powers to stage such a referendum - with many experts suggesting it does not.
Asked if an IndyRef2 would happen on October 19 next year, she told BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg: "Yes, I am confident that can happen.
"The Supreme Court will next week consider whether the Scottish Parliament have the competence to legislate for that referendum - and there is little point speculating on the outcome of a court hearing.
"But should the answer to that be yes, we have the plans ready to go legislate - and the work on refreshing and updating the substantive case is well underway."
Asked if she felt the public wanted to have an IndyRef2 next year, the SNP leader said: "On the question of whether there is a mandate for an independence referendum, we don't actually have to look at opinion polls - because that election result last year, the SNP won the election on a very clear manifesto commitment.
"Usually, political parties get criticised for not delivering their manifesto commitment - I'm getting criticised in this context for trying to deliver on that commitment."
Pressed on whether there was public demand for a vote on the constitution next year, the First Minister added: "I fought an election on this manifesto commitment and won that election overwhelmingly.
"I believe that there is an appetite for a referendum. Opinion polls on this issue come and go.
"I believe very firmly – and I think this is a bit of an iron law of politics – if the other side of this debate really believed people in Scotland didn’t want a referendum and if they really believed that people in Scotland would vote against independence – they’d be the ones clamouring for a referendum.”
When asked if it is possible the UK Government wants to avoid the "disruption" that would stem from a referendum, the First Minister said: "Disruption? Perish the thought we would have disruption in people’s lives right now.
"The disruption that people are suffering right now are coming from decisions that have been imposed on Scotland against our will."
Responding to Sturgeon's interview, the Scottish Liberal Democrats branded her focus on a referendum as "myopic".
Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Libs Dem leader, said: "It is hard to think of a time when the challenges facing the people of Scotland were larger, but sadly Nicola Sturgeon has proved again that the SNP-Green government is simply not interested.
"The SNP have been focussed on breaking up the UK for all of their 15 years in office. Given the record waits in A&E, people struggling to put food on the table and heat their homes, that obsession with breaking up the UK is nothing short of myopic.
"The SNP's latest wheeze of a de facto referendum at the next General Election will sound ridiculous to families struggling to pay their bills. The next election will be a chance to change our country's future, not relitigate the divisions of the past as the SNP seek to do."
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