DAVID Cameron has set any future Tory government on a collision course with Nicola Sturgeon's SNP after he signalled that, even if the Nationalists won a majority in 2016 and wanted a second referendum, his administration would not grant it because the issue of Scotland's future has been "settled".
In an interview with Westminster's House magazine, the Prime Minister also chided Alex Salmond for complaining about what the former First Minister suggested was BBC bias during the independence campaign.
Just hours after SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon gave her strongest signal yet that there could be a commitment to a second referendum in her party's 2016 Holyrood manifesto, Mr Cameron was asked if he thought there would be another poll.
He replied: "I believe it's settled. I quote Alex Salmond, 'settled for a generation, possibly for a lifetime,' is what he said. And I'm sticking with that. There was a very big debate in Scotland, a very big moment, a very big turnout. But it was pretty decisive, a ten-point margin is pretty decisive."
Asked, if Ms Sturgeon were to put a referendum pledge in her party's Holyrood manifesto for 2016, would he be tempted to say he was not duty-bound by that, even if the SNP won, Mr Cameron replied: "That issue is settled."
While under the new powers proposed for Holyrood, elections are to be devolved, the holding of referendums is not; matters affecting the UK constitution remain reserved to Westminster.
Meantime, the Tory leader, asked what he thought of Mr Salmond's remarks that the BBC's referendum coverage was a "national disgrace" and the corporation was now viewed as a "wicked stepmother" by Nationalists, said: "We all have our disagreements with the BBC from time to time but the idea that it was biased over the referendum is completely wrong.
"Britain can pride itself that we have independent media that annoys all of us from time to time but the way the Nats always cry foul is their blaming the referee when they are not happy with the result."
Asked about the BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson, who was criticised by Nationalists for his reporting in the referendum, Mr Cameron added: "He's is a brilliant journalist and scrupulously tough and fair on everybody."
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