Catalan nationalists have warned of "civil disobedience" after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy claimed he had unspecified "measures" in place to block an independence referendum from taking place in November.

Oriol Junqueras, leader of Esquerra Republicana, a left-wing pro-independence party allied with the SNP, vowed to go ahead with the poll despite an expected ban from Madrid, perhaps from Spain's constitutional court.

The big vote is scheduled for November 9 but has never had the kind of legally "binding" status as the referendum to take place in Scotland next week. Mr Rajoy has refused to follow David Cameron and sign an Iberian version of the Edinburgh Agreement.

The Scottish deal has made the British PM a nationalist pin-up across the Peninsula with independentista politicians constantly comparing Madrid's stance with what they see as English "fair play".

Speaking on Catalan national radio on Tuesday, Mr Junqueras shrugged off any concerns over the legalities of the Catalan vote. "Whate we have to do is say we are going to vote and do everything possible to win," he said. What will make our vote binding is a victory."

The Esquerra leader, who cited Martin Luther King and America's civil rights movement, is a more radical voice than Catalonia's centre-right president, Artur Mas. His ruling alliance, Convergència i Unió or CiU, is reluctant to support any civil disobedience. Reports on Tuesday said Mas was willing to do anything to sidestep a ban from the constitutional court and that he believed direct action, even if peaceful, would paralyse the Catalan economy.

Support for the "right to decide", the right to have a vote, is very high in Catalonia, which between 75% and 80% of those polled saying they believe the referendum should take place. The Spanish government, still struggling with mass youth unemployment and other hangovers from the financial crisis, is bracing itself for an autumn of discontent. Reports say it has just spent £1m on riot gear for its police.

Mr Rajoy on Monday told the ruling board of his right-wing People;'s Party or PP that he had "all the measures ready" to stop the November 9 poll. He gave no details of what that might be. Madrid views the referendum as breaching the constitution agreed across Spain, including Catalonia, as the Spanish state emerged from decades of dictatorship under Francisco Franco in the mid 1970s.

Spanish and Catalan reports this week suggest the PP has tried to forge a grand coalition against independence, perhaps inspired by the pro-UK alliance currently trying to convince Scots to vote No. Mr Junqueras, meanwhile, said he would consider joining the government of Artur Mas in a bid to consolidate pro-independence forces.

Nationalist politicians in both Catalonia and the Basque Country are keeping one eye firmly on Scotland. Mas has said he believes a Yes vote would help. However, the mainstream Basque National PArty, PNV, said it would neither accelerate its plans for further autonomy if Scots vote for independence, nor would it put the brake son them if they backed the union.