NICOLA Sturgeon has said any attempt to block a second independence referendum would be a “democratic outrage” after the UK Defence Secretary told her to “forget it”.

The First Minister said “the arrogance of the Tories knows no bounds” after Sir Michael Fallon dismissed the prospect of Westminster empowering Holyrood to hold another vote.

In an exclusive interview with the Herald, Sir Michael was asked if the UK Government would facilitate a second referendum, as it had before the 2014 vote by granting a so-called Section 30 order.

Read more: Tories to block Nicola Sturgeon's bid for second independence referendum

He said: “No, forget it. The respect agenda is two-way. She [the First Minister] is constantly asking us to respect the decision of Scotland to stay inside the UK in 2014 and the decision of the UK to leave the EU. Respect works in two ways.”

“We have no plans to help them hold a second referendum. A second referendum is in any case a matter for the UK Parliament.”

He also said the SNP lacked a mandate for a referendum, despite the SNP’s Holyrood manifesto referring explicitly to Scotland being dragged out the EU against its will as a trigger.

Asked if the Nationalists had a mandate, he replied: “No. Where would that come from? They lost seats in May.”

Ms Sturgeon said: “The arrogance of the Tories knows no bounds. They now think they can do what they want to Scotland and get away with it – not content with trying to drag us out of EU against our will with the support of just one MP out of 59 in Scotland, they are now suggesting they might try to block the nation's right to choose a different path.

“Any Tory bid to block a referendum would be a democratic outrage, but would only succeed in boosting support for both a referendum and for independence itself – something which the Prime Minister has previously indicated she understands all too well.

Read more: Tories to block Nicola Sturgeon's bid for second independence referendum

“Our mandate is unequivocal, with a manifesto commitment which makes explicitly clear that the Scottish Parliament should have the right to decide on an independence referendum if Scotland faces being taken out of the EU against our will. And no Tory Westminster government has a right to stand in the way of that.

“Michael Fallon’s comments betray how rattled the Tories are about Scotland – but his frantic backpedalling when pressed on the issue this morning shows that he understands what a disastrous strategy it would be for them to try and deny Scotland’s democratic right.”

Sir Michael later appeared to row back on the remarks on BBC Radio Scotland, reverting to the standard UK Government line that it did not want a second referendum, rather than definitively ruling one out.

He also recast his “forget it” remark as advice to the SNP to forget the whole issue of a second referendum, which he called a “distraction” from the daily business of government.

A Whitehall source also suggested Sir Michael had strayed from the official line, which remained that it was not a question of whether there “could” be a referendum, but whether there “should” be one, and the answer to the latter point was still No.

Sir Michael’s remarks are nonetheless acutely embarrassing for his party’s leader in Scotland, Ruth Davidson, as she has publicly advised the UK Government not to refuse a referendum.

In September, she warned denying a Section 30 order would boost the Independence cause.

Read more: Tories to block Nicola Sturgeon's bid for second independence referendum

She said: “I don’t believe that the UK government should go round threatening to block a second referendum, in the same way that I thought it was wrong for the Spanish government to say that they were going to block a Catalan referendum.

“You saw what happened there, and the way people got onto the streets of Barcelona. I think it would play directly into the Nationalists’ hands.”

Scottish Labour Kezia Dugdale has also said she thinks a Section 30 order should be granted for the same reason.

Because the constitution is a reserved issue, the Scottish Parliament must seek Westminster’s permission to pass the legislation required for an independence referendum.

This happened in advance of the last referendum, when the UK Government granted an order under Section 30 of the Scotland Act in 2013 empowering Holyrood to do so.

Former First Minister Alex Salmond had previously talked about holding a “consultative” referendum without Westminster’s permission, but this would almost certainly have become bogged down in legal challenges - the Section 30 ensured the process was legally sound.