SCOTLAND should be given the power to hold a second referendum if a pro-independence majority wins the next Holyrood election, David Mundell has indicated.
The former Scottish secretary said Downing Street would have to listen if the Scottish Parliament election in 2021 is “explicitly” fought on the issue.
He made the comments as he confirmed he would not vote down a Conservative Government to prevent a no-deal Brexit, despite raising concerns it could threaten the future of the UK.
Mr Mundell was speaking at a Fringe by the Sea event in North Berwick, where he was being interviewed by the journalist Katy Balls.
READ MORE: Remain voters driving swing to Yes, says John Curtice
He said: “I think if the 2021 Scottish Parliament election is fought explicitly on the issue of another referendum, and then there is a majority of nationalist parties, then evidently you do have to listen to that.
“The 2016 Scottish Parliament election wasn’t fought on that basis – it was sort of a subset of the SNP manifesto.
“In my view the wording they put there was deliberately ambiguous, so as to allow them to not major on independence but then claim they had a mandate for independence.
“But if the 2021 Scottish Parliament election is fought on an explicit independence referendum basis, then it’s harder to push back against the idea that there is a mandate.”
Mr Mundell has previously said the Holyrood poll is shaping up to be a “referendum on a referendum”.
He indicated Unionist candidates should form tactical alliances to beat pro-independence parties.
He said: “I think as we head into the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, which will ultimately be a referendum on whether there’s another referendum, then all Unionist forces have to think about how they best organise themselves for that election.”
It comes just days after a poll showed support for independence has risen to 52 per cent, with 48% against.
Mr Mundell, who was sacked by Boris Johnson last month as part of his brutal cabinet reshuffle, has repeatedly warned about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit.
Read more: SNP say Ruth Davidson ‘humiliated’ after David Mundell sacked against her advice
But asked if would accept crashing out of the EU without a deal, he said: “I think that we have to have a Brexit rather than no Brexit.
“So I’m clear that that is an important principle. It’s honouring the 2016 referendum.
“I would never myself vote against a Conservative Government in a vote of no confidence.
“I think as a Conservative MP, that is not something that you can ever reasonably do.”
Mr Mundell said an early general election is a “reasonable possibility” this autumn, and confirmed he is already preparing to fight it.
He insisted it is “vitally important” that the government delivers Brexit, adding: “I take Mr Johnson at his word, that he wants to get some form of deal, because that is by far the best basis on which we can leave the EU.
“And I would far rather see us having an election on the basis of having delivered Brexit and having left the EU.”
Elsewhere, he urged Mr Johnson to listen to the advice of Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson.
He said: “My advice for him is clear: he needs to listen to what she says.
“She has the electoral track record in Scotland, in terms of delivering additional MSPs, additional MPs, additional councillors, of being in tune with Scottish public opinion. That’s the message.”
Ms Davidson reportedly tried and failed to persuade Mr Johnson to keep Mr Mundell – a close ally and friend – as Scottish secretary.
Speaking in North Berwick, Mr Mundell said he had given the new Prime Minister newspaper cuttings showing the negative reaction to his election in Scotland.
He said: "I think it is very important to understand the scale of the task and the challenging political environment that Scotland is."
His comments on independence came after Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell insisted a Labour government would not block a second referendum.
An SNP spokesman said: "The Scottish Government has a crystal clear mandate to give people a choice over their future.
"A majority of Scots now support independence with most in favour of a vote before 2021."
Read next: Labour MSPs declare war on Corbyn over second Scottish independence referendum
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel