THE pro-referendum candidate in the SNP’s deputy leadership race has accused his main rival of failing to offer the party’s members "anything" on the issue.

Inverclyde councillor Chris McEleny, who is demanding a second independence vote within 18 months, made the claim ahead of the contest’s first hustings today.

McEleny, Economy Secretary Keith Brown and activist Julie Hepburn will make their pitch to SNP members at Airdrie Town Hall this morning.

It is the first of ten hustings before the winner is named at the SNP conference in Aberdeen on June 8.

Mr Brown, who is considered the favourite to win, this week said it “could be held in 12 months or two years” but continued to giving a preference on timing.

Even with consent from Westminster, it would be impossible to hold a referendum in 12 months because of the need to get legislation through Holyrood.

In a clear dig, Mr McEleny said: “It’s easy to say things like ‘there could be a referendum as early as next year’ but without saying how late you think it might also be that’s not really offering anything.

“If SNP members vote for me, they have the opportunity to make their voices heard that they, like me, believe we should have a referendum on independence within the next 18 months.

"Some think we aren’t ready to win a referendum, and urge caution. I believe we are ready to go."

Ms Hepburn said she wanted to focus on internal reforms and renew the case for a Yes.

She said: “I don't believe we need to wait for a date to lay the foundations for the next independence referendum, so I'll be setting out what steps we should be taking to get the campaign started as soon as possible."

Mr Brown said Nicola Sturgeon should decide the timing once the final Brexit deal came into focus.

He said: “My job if elected as depute leader will be to make sure we are ready to win the referendum whenever it comes, that we use the time between now and then to engage our membership, hone the case for independence and heighten our organisational and campaigning capacity to get us fighting fit to win.”

The First Minister is due to update Holyrood in the autumn on the “precise time scale” for another vote, after announcing a “reset” of her March 2017 plan for one linked to Brexit.

The slowdown followed the SNP’s loss of 21 MPs in last June’s snap election.

In recent weeks, there has been a noisy split in the Yes movement about whether to use the “triple lock” mandate for a referendum Ms Sturgeon says she won in that election, or to play a longer game and refresh the case for independence before pressing the issue again.

SNP veterans such as former deputy Jim Sillars and MP Pete Wishart have urged caution, warning a second defeat in a premature vote could set the cause back decades.

However others argue that if Ms Sturgeon doesn’t move on her mandate soon, she may not get another chance after the 2021 Holyrood election, and the chance will have gone.